Five-star defensive end Korey Foreman announced his commitment to USC, leading a group of six ESPN 300 prospects announcing commitments to various football programs on Saturday.
Foreman is the No. 3-ranked recruit overall, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound prospect from Corona, California. He is the top-ranked prospect in the state of California and immediately elevates USC's recruiting class, which was ranked No. 13 prior to his commitment.
The five-star recruit was committed to Clemson at one point in his process but decommitted and considered the Tigers along with USC, LSU, Georgia and Arizona State.
USC put together a concerted effort to "take back the West" in this recruiting cycle after signing only one ESPN 300 recruit in 2020. Those efforts paid off, now with nine ESPN 300 recruits in 2021, including five from California.
The staff lost a commitment from the top-ranked player in the state in 2020 when quarterback Bryce Young flipped to Alabama, and it missed out on defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, the top-ranked in-state recruit in 2019. Landing Foreman is a notable statement from a staff that has put in considerable effort on the recruiting trail.
Foreman is the highest-ranked commit in the class, followed by quarterbacks Miller Moss and Jaxson Dart, ranked No. 36 and 73, respectively, and wide receiver Kyron Ware-Hudson, whom USC flipped from Oregon.
Foreman is a prospect who could provide immediate help on defense, especially in the pass rush, but landing one of the nation's most sought-after prospects is an immediate recruiting win for the Trojans.
The staff was also able to add ESPN 300 cornerback Ceyair Wright on Saturday, who chose the Trojans over Michigan, Notre Dame and a handful of other programs.
Wright is the No. 9-ranked prospect in Califorina, a 6-foot, 175-pound defensive back from Loyola High School in Los Angeles. He's the first ESPN 300 corner in this class for the Trojans and will help add depth at the position after junior Olaijah Griffin announced he is leaving for the NFL draft.
Maryland coach Mike Locksley continues to recruit very well, already with a top-20 class overall. Locksley added five-star linebacker Terrence Lewis on Saturday, gaining some immediate help on defense.
Lewis had been committed to Tennessee, decommitted, then was considering Auburn until the Tigers fired coach Gus Malzahn. Lewis then released a top two of Maryland and Tennessee, only to add Miami on to the list late in the process.
Now with Lewis in the mix, Maryland has six ESPN 300 commitments in the class, three of whom are linebackers.
Clemson also added to its recruiting class on Saturday with ESPN 300 offensive lineman Tristan Leigh, who chose the Tigers over Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida, LSU and Ohio State. He's a 6-foot-5, 280-pound lineman from Fairfax, Virginia, and the No. 22-ranked recruit overall.
Leigh is the fourth ESPN 300 offensive lineman to commit to Clemson in this 2021 cycle, joining Marcus Tate, Dietrick Pennington and Ryan Linthicum. Clemson has 19 total commitments in the class, and 17 are ranked in the ESPN 300.
Nebraska added its third ESPN 300 commitment with linebacker Wynden Ho'ohuli, who chose the Huskers over Kansas State, Utah and Washington.
Ho'ohuli is the No. 157-ranked recruit overall out of Mililani High School in Mililani, Hawai'i. He is the No. 1 prospect in the state of Hawai'i, and is now the highest-ranked commit in the class for Scott Frost and his staff.
Texas A&M and coach Jimbo Fisher have continued to add more and more talent to their program as well, and bolstered the 2021 class on Saturday with ESPN 300 defensive end Elijah Jeudy.
The Aggies already had the No. 9-ranked class prior to this commitment and now add Jeudy, who is the No. 176-ranked recruit out of Northeast High School in Philadelphia.
Jeudy is the fifth ESPN 300 defensive end to commit to the Aggies, joining Shemar Turner, Tunmise Adeleye, Marcus Burris and Jahzion Harris. Fisher and his staff now have 11 ESPN 300 commitments in the class.