Commitment Analysis: USC adds fifth OL to 2023 class with Elijah Paige
There was much consternation within the USC fan base earlier in this recruiting cycle about the Trojans' efforts to reel in impact offensive linemen.
As many see the lines on both sides as the missing piece for USC to truly return to competing for national championships, almost nothing recruiting-wise moves the needle these days quite like a big lineman commit.
And that's what the program got Monday, as four-star 6-foot-7, 305-pound offensive tackle Elijah Paige announced his USC commitment after taking an official visit over the weekend and watching the Trojans' 42-25 win over Arizona State at the Coliseum.
Paige had been a top priority target for the Trojans from the start of this 2023 recruiting cycle, but he committed to Notre Dame in June. He had a change of heart, though, backing off that pledge on Sept. 22, at which point the buzz started mounting that USC could be positioned as the favorite.
With Paige on board, the Trojans now have five offensive line commits in what, despite the early pensiveness from the fan base, has shaped up as a very intriguing OL class.
Paige is the highest-rated of the group, which also includes three-star tackles Amos Talalele (6-foot-5, 320 pounds, from Santa Clara) and Tobias Raymond (6-foot-7, 260 pounds, from Ventura) and three-star guards Micah Banuelos (6-foot-3, 284 pounds, from Burien, Wash.) and Alani Noa (6-foot-4, 335 pounds, from Sacramento).
Paige would become the first four-star offensive tackle USC has signed since Mason Murphy in the 2021 class and just the third four-star OL in the last four cycles. The five offensive linemen would be the largest haul at the position for USC since it signed six in the 2020 class.
Restocking up front was indeed a priority need in this class, as USC is set to have to rebuild most of its offensive line in the coming years. Left tackle Bobby Haskins, left guard Andrew Vorhees and center Brett Neilon are in their final season of eligibility, while right guard Justin Dedich has one more season after this if he wants it. Co-left tackle Courtland Ford and right tackle Jonah Monheim have two more seasons of eligibility.
Behind that group, there are not many clear successors. Redshirt freshman Mason Murphy will be in the mix for a starting tackle job next year while veteran guard Gino Quinones has two seasons left after this.
USC is up to 19 commits overall for the 2023 class and is now 11th in the Rivals recruiting rankings.
The 2023 USC offensive line class, as it stands ...
Film Room
Paige has not posted any videos to his Hudl account since his sophomore year highlights, which can be seen here.
We plan to go see him play in a few weeks and will have a full highlight package at that time.
Scouting report from Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney
What makes Elijah Paige a four-star prospect at offensive tackle?
Gorney: "First, he's huge. He's 6-7, 305 pounds, very filled-out physical body. He could probably gain another 10-15 pounds no problem on a 6-7 frame, and he also moves very well. He's not a kid who lumbers around at that size. He gets to the second level, he's looking to block people that way. He's very athletic, he's a very fast puller, he gets to the other side of the line very quickly, so he's very nimble and agile on his feet for a guy that big. Sometimes you get guys at 6-7, they're kind of stumbling around and really not comfortable in themselves. He is definitely someone who is very comfortable in his own body."
What sense did you get for why he backed off his earlier Notre Dame commitment?
Gorney: "He said that he had some questions that kind of went unanswered. I didn't really delve into specifically what those questions were, but I also think in his gut all along he had really loved USC. I think he saw Notre Dame struggle a little bit early in the season, I think that might have frightened him a little bit. He probably got excited on that visit out to Notre Dame and made a quick decision after that. And he's seen USC's development, they've continued to recruit him. He basically admitted to me that once he backed off that pledge it was to take the visit to USC and really make that commitment. I think all along even when he was committed happily to Notre Dame he kept thinking about USC, and his gut told him that was probably the right move."
You must be a member to read the full article. Subscribe now for instant access to all premium content.
-
Members-only forums
-
Predict prospect commits with FanFutureCast
-
Exclusive highlights and interviews
-
Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series
-
Breaking recruiting news