USC lands commitment from 4-star ATH Calen Bullock
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Make it six commitments for USC in a little more than a month.
For the third time this week, the Trojans landed a pledge from one of their top targets, as local 4-star athlete Calen Bullock announced his USC decision in a tweet Saturday.
Bullock, from Muir High School in nearby Pasadena, is the third defensive back to commit to the Trojans in this 2021 class, the sixth 4-star prospect and the ninth overall commit. He picked USC over Texas and Oregon.
With Bullock's commitment, the Trojans are up to No. 6 nationally in the Rivals rankings as recruiting is on a roll right now.
RELATED: Commitment Analysis: Rivals analyst Adam Gorney's scouting report on Calen Bullock plus video highlights | WATCH: Rivals camp highlights of Calen Bullock and Maximus Gibbs
As for Bullock, his long and athletic 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame makes him a versatile option in the secondary for the Trojans at either safety or cornerback.
New cornerbacks coach Donte Williams was key in his recruitment, having recruited him at Oregon previously.
"[The USC offer] was big. I was waiting for it for a long time and then coach Donte came in, he was recruiting me at Oregon, and he offered me and I was very happy with that," Bullock told TrojanSports.com last month. "He didn't know I didn't have the offer at USC. …
"Coach Donte, he's young, he's like a big brother to me. I'd go to him for anything, he gives me advice all the time. I'm always talking to him. ... He got the swag that we got, so we talk to him like regular."
Bullock had some interest as a wide receiver from Washington State and Oregon State, but he projects as yet another strong addition to the Trojans' 2021 DB class, which includes 3-star Warren HS safety Xamarion Gordon and 4-star Narbonne prospect Anthony Beavers, who projects to the "Joker" role -- a hybrid safety-linebacker -- in defensive coordinator Todd Orlando's system.
After not signing any DBs in the 2020 recruiting class -- despite being a finalist for some key prospects -- the Trojans are off to a great start there so far this cycle.
And a great start overall, for that matter.
USC has picked up commitments from Beavers, local 3-star OG Maximus Gibbs (St. John Bosco HS) and Bullock this week alone, and since mid-March has also landed 3-star OT Mason Murphy (JSerra HS), 4-star RB Brandon Campbell (Katy HS/Houston, Texas) and Gordon.
They're joined in the class so far by early commits 4-star QB Jake Garcia (La Habra HS), 4-star OLB Ma'a Gaoteote (St. John Bosco HS) and 4-star DT Jay Toia (Grace Brethren HS).
Garcia and Gaoteote are Rivals100 prospects while Campbell and Beavers are Rivals250 prospects.