A little more than a month after he de-committed from his long-standing USC pledge, five-star cornerback Domani Jackson is back in the Trojans' 2022 recruiting class.
Jackson, the No. 3-ranked CB and No. 15 overall prospect nationally, announced his decision Friday on social media, picking USC over Alabama.
An official visit to Tuscaloosa, Ala., last month had given the Mater Dei High School star a lot to think about, and the allure of Nick Saban's program coupled with the uncertainty of who would be coaching USC and what direction the program would take, led Jackson to reopen his recruitment.
Enter new Trojans coach Lincoln Riley, who made Jackson a top priority upon taking the job less than three weeks ago.
Jackson took multiple visits to campus, including an official visit last Sunday, and was compelled enough to attach his football future to what Riley is hoping to build here in Los Angeles.
"It was great. You could tell it's a different vibe out there. Coach Lincoln, he's a great recruiter, great coach," Jackson told TrojanSports.com this week. "[Defensive coordinator Alex] Grinch, a great defense that he's got. He showed me a couple clips in his office. I really liked it."
USC's 2022 recruiting class remains small with just seven signees, but Riley has reeled in some blue-chip prospects in that mix.
The Trojans now have two of the top 18 prospects in this 2022 class, including five-star all-purpose back and fellow Mater Dei star Raleek Brown, as well as the No. 63-ranked national prospect, four-star safety Zion Branch (Bishop Gorman HS/Las Vegas, Nev.).
It was no coincidence that the Trojans opted to have Riley speak Friday rather than the standard Wednesday signing day press conference, knowing Jackson's decision was still pending.
"One of the most talented football players in the country at his position. The combination of speed, size and then just a natural confidence that Domani has is very, very impressive," Riley said later in the afternoon. "And it was great to get a chance to spend a lot of time with him and his family here over the last few weeks and certainly glad that this was the right fit for him."
Ultimately, Jackson had long wanted to be a Trojan. When he initially committed to USC last January, he said: “Ever since eighth grade when they offered me from that camp, I fell in love with USC."
The Trojans just really tested that love these last few months, with the early-season firing of head coach Clay Helton, with whom Jackson had a close connection, and the 4-8 season that ensued.
Jackson had said at points along the way that he would likely stay committed if interim head coach Donte Williams, his lead recruiter, remained on staff. That too was thrust into doubt, but with Williams joining the Trojans recruiting efforts last Sunday it is expected that he will have an unspecified role on staff moving forward.
But ultimately, it's hard to imagine this happening without the instant credibility Riley brought to the program after going 55-10 with four Big 12 titles and three College Football Playoff appearances in five seasons at Oklahoma.
Riley, Ginch and Co. had multiple opportunities to sell their vision to Jackson over the last couple weeks and it clearly landed.
"We were thrilled that he’d chosen this place and probably most excited at just how, when he did call us to tell us, how all in he was. There was zero hesitation. This is where he wants to be. This is where his family wants to be. He has total belief and shares our vision about what this place could be. That’s what you want," Riley said. "Whether it’s a guy you’re signing, whether it’s a current player on this team, there has to be a shared vision. There has to be a crazy dedicated belief within everybody that if we all work together, we can get this done. Domani certainly adds to that."
So what is USC getting in Jackson?
Well, he tied the CIF state record in the 100 meters last June, running a state-championship-winning 10.25 seconds. That matched with his athletic 6-foot-1 frame makes him the ideal archetype of a cornerback.
He's also been a fixture of some of the best high school teams in the country the last few years at Mater Dei, although an injury cut his senior season short.
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney shares his reaction and scouting report and reaction to the news Friday:
What is your reaction to how this all played out over the last month from his de-commitment to now rejoining this USC recruiting class?
Gorney: "If there wasn't a blockbuster hire like Lincoln Riley, I doubt that this would have happened. After he took that visit to Tuscaloosa, it looked like it was basically he had decided to go to Alabama and there was nothing anybody else could do. When that surprise happened and then taking subsequent visits over there and then getting a bunch of other guys to visit with him and CJ Williams -- everything just kind of fell into place. He'd always wanted to go to USC, but he sort of needed a reason and to see a direction that the program was going to start doing the right things, and I think he's been convinced over the last few weeks that that had happened. That's not to say that he wasn't highly interested in Alabama. If this was just regular run-of-the-mill hire, if this was Matt Campbell, I still think he would have gone to Alabama, but Lincoln Riley provides that spark that he needed to pick USC again."
At what point during all of this did you get the sense it was going to be USC?
Gorney: "I think that Sunday night visit when they had those nine or 10 guys in, it was starting to take shape. And then that final visit, it started to become clear that he was getting very serious about USC again, to the point where it looked like that was going to be the pick. I think right when Lincoln Riley got hired it certainly sparked something in him. Then he takes two visits over there -- I think that was definitely important. Still a little bit torn. But then it started looking like Alabama was going after different defensive backs, reengaging with Denver Harris, all those kinds of things, and if you read the tea leaves there they started becoming less and less confident on Domani Jackson."
What makes Jackson such a special prospect at cornerback?
Gorney: "First, he's super physical at the line of scrimmage. He always has been -- that's just the way he wants to play -- so he's going to be in your face, he's going to be aggressive, he's going to attack you, and then he can turn and run obviously. Straight-line speed is really where he's best. He'll still be fast turning and running with guys, so I think those are the two things. And then just his ball skills. When the ball's up in the air, he goes up and attacks it -- he goes after people. He's not going to make it easy on receivers ever. Sometimes he needs to play with a little more confidence and trust himself and not overthink things. I think that's given him trouble a little bit, and I think that's why sometimes he holds a little bit more than he should, but once that gets knocked out of him, once that confidence continues to grow he should be an elite cornerback in the Pac-12."
What is your expectation for his first year?
Gorney: "There have been five-star cornerbacks that have come through there in recent years that really haven't panned out, and it's been really disappointing. That could be just the situation that has been presented to them and the development that's there. With a new coaching staff that can change. Domani Jackson is physically ready to get onto the field immediately and contribute from Day 1. In terms of just raw physical ability, he'll be one of the best cornerbacks on the roster."
Lastly, what's been your reaction overall so far to Lincoln Riley's impact on USC recruiting?
Gorney: "You look at the numbers and they're super low, but there's this expectation that they're going to load up pretty quickly here and have to hit the transfer portal, I would imagine. The one thing that he's done is immediately gotten kids interested in USC again to a serious level where the best players in the state -- and not just one or two but like a lot of them, pretty much everyone -- will be interested in them again. I think that's clear in the '23 class and clear at the top of 2022. Because if it wasn't for Lincoln Riley getting that job, I would suspect CJ Williams would have stuck with Notre Dame or gone elsewhere and Domani Jackson would have definitely been at Alabama. Those are two huge additions. TMac (Tetairoa McMillan) is a special case because he had kind of vibed with other schools better. David Bailey's going to Stanford, you can't play him. But they get Raleek Brown, they get Domani Jackson. In just a few weeks here, they've essentially flipped a five-star from Oklahoma and gotten a five-star away from Alabama. That's pretty good work in a couple weeks."
