Flip season continues for USC as it landed a commitment Sunday from three-star tight end Nela Tupou, who had been committed to Utah since February.

Tupou, notably, plays at Folsom High School with top Trojans 2026 QB target Ryder Lyons.

Listed at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Tupou had 29 catches for 550 yards and 11 touchdowns this season in nine games.

He is the only tight end commit for USC in this 2025 recruiting class and the 23rd overall commit in a class that ranks 14th in the Rivals rankings.

It's certainly notable that USC is flipping a tight end prospect away from Utah, which has certainly had a lot more high-profile tight end success stories in recent years.

But it's hard to ignore the Lyons connection and what this means for where USC stands with the five-star dual-threat QB and No. 3 overall national prospect in the 2026 class.

"I think it's Ryder Lyons kind of in his ear saying 'Come play at USC,'" Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney said. "I talked to Lyons recently, USC is still the team to beat. I think there are definitely others involved. Ole Miss is still intriguing him, BYU for numerous reasons -- some religious, some football -- but I still think USC is clearly the team to beat in his recruitment. I think this is a sign that even more than ever USC is the team to beat for Lyons. If Tupou didn't feel like Ryder Lyons was going to USC, I'm not entirely sure he flips."

Even that aside, Tupou is a strong addition to a tight end room that has been turned over the last few recruiting classes now and loaded with high-end talent. USC should return veteran starting tight end Lake McRee next season, along with current true freshman Walker Lyons (Ryder's older brother and USC's No. 2 TE already), redshirt freshman Kade Eldridge and true freshmen Walter Matthews and Joey Olsen.

That's a deep and talented tight end room -- maybe more so than a program needs -- if it stays together.

Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney's take on Nela Tupou:

"He's both a willing blocker but mostly a guy that can really stretch the field and be used in the passing game. Folsom is going to throw the ball a ton, so stats are a little tricky, but he's 6-5, he's 240, he can run, he's a big target and he has good hands. But he's definitely not afraid to be physical, and I know that because he also plays D-end and a lot of his tape is just blocking people and knocking them around. So he's not just a kid who's going to split out wide and catch passes -- if you need him to block he will. And then it's also huge -- 29 catches, 11 of those were touchdowns. So he's going to get open in the red zone. Ryder Lyons is going to throw it up to him and he's going to catch it. So sort of an under-the-radar typical Utah commit -- someone who doesn't really do the whole national scene but is a very productive and good player. He wasn't the top target at Folsom because Jameson Powell is their top wide receiver, but certainly the second option and a very good one"