Commitment Analysis: A closer look at new USC OL commit Maximus Gibbs

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Maximus Gibbs announced his USC commitment Friday, and the imposing 6-foot-6, 340-pound St. John Bosco HS offensive guard is a significant pickup for the Trojans.

Gibbs was impressive at the Rivals Camp Series Los Angeles showcase on last month, showing the potential to be a hard-to-move force at offensive guard.

Paired with fellow local OL commit Mason Murphy, an offensive tackle from JSerra HS, the Trojans have a strong foundation to a 2021 OL class that might not be especially large after they signed six offensive linemen in the 2020 cycle.

We take a closer look at what Gibbs' commitment means for USC, and Rivals analyst Adam Gorney and St. John Bosco head coach Jason Negro give their scouting report of the goliath guard.

RELATED: 2021 OG Maximus Gibbs commits to USC

The Trojans continue their strong St. John Bosco pipeline. In fact, having so many former teammates already at USC was part of the appeal to Gibbs.

USC brought in tight end Jude Wolfe, linebacker Ralen Goforth and cornerback Chris Steele from the national powerhouse program down the road in the 2019 recruiting class, signed defensive tackle Kobe Pepe and added walk-on linebacker Danny Lockhart and Matt Colombo, and they also have 4-star Rivals100 OLB Ma'a Gaoteote commited from St. John Bosco in this cycle.

Anytime USC lands a commitment from a coveted local prospect, it's a big deal after the program's struggles in that regard the last year. Gibbs had SEC interest and a lot of options, but he was convinced that the Trojans offered him the best opportunity from football, academic and post-football standpoints.

After signing those six offensive linemen in 2020, the Trojans may only take a few in this class, and they are off to a great start with Gibbs and Murphy -- who both project as potential impact players down the road.

Gibbs' commitment also continues the wave of recent recruiting success for the program, which has landed five commitments since the national shutdown of on- and off-campus recruiting last month amidst the ongoing pandemic.

The Trojans staff made a strong impression on its top local targets at a big junior day event at the end of January, and the staff has proven it is able to close the deal despite the ongoing obstacles.

Rivals recruiting analyst Adam Gorney gives his take on USC's newest commit: