Three-star defensive back Braylon Conley will leave his native Texas to go play for USC.
Don't look now, but Lincoln Riley is building up quite the recruiting class for 2024 over at USC.
This is Riley's first full offseason recruiting players to Southern California. After a disastrous end to whatever the hell the Clay Helton era was, Riley not only has the Trojans nationally relevant, but on the precipice of something special. He may be a few recruiting classes away from usurping the elite of the elite in the SEC, but landing players like Braylon Conley out of Texas is a huge positive.
The three-star defensive back from Humble, Texas picked the Trojans on Friday over several SEC teams who offered him. Those SEC programs include Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Missouri and future conference member, Texas. Conley visited the Trojans back in May. His primary recruiter to Southern California was their cornerbacks coach and passing game coordinator in Donté Williams.
Here is what Conley had to say about USC, Coach Williams and Riley's entire Trojans program.
Conley is the 16th recruit to commit to USC for 2024, helping elevate their class to No. 7 overall.
USC lands an underrated 3-star recruit in cornerback Braylon Conley for 2024
While I have major reservations about how quickly USC will assimilate into its new league in 2024 when it does join the Big Ten alongside crosstown rival UCLA, I trust Riley and his staff will do whatever it takes to build and sustain a winner through high school recruitment. USC could have a stranglehold on South California, in addition to having new and exciting ventures in the midwest.
Furthermore, I think going into Texas and getting a player a handful of notable SEC schools wanted is a big deal. Truth be told, to what degree did the likes of Auburn and Georgia think they really had a shot at him? Conversely, how does Texas let a guy like this get go out of state? Either way, these are the type of recruiting battles programs on the rise like USC need to win with greater regularity.
Overall, the Trojans need to find a way to get inside of the top five in terms of recruitment, year in and year out. Frankly, the recruiting threshold may no longer be as important with College Football Playoff expansion on the horizon. We also have to factor in Riley being a quarterback whisperer, meaning he can theoretically get QB1 in any recruiting class to come play for him to then elevate.
But by landing Conley, it shows that USC is ready to recruit at a very high national level once again.
