David Peevy believed he'd have a decision made by the start of his senior season. Then, when that didn't happen, he was intent on having his mind made up by the midway point. USC, Oregon and Washington made it difficult on him to pick, but Thursday night he ended any more speculation by committing to the Trojans.

The versatile edge rusher from Lincoln High School in San Diego has always had the size to play defense, but it took a push from his coaches to eventually get him over to that side of the ball. Peevy had plans of playing receiver, but doors began to open when he transitioned to an edge rusher role for the Hornets.

Peevy eventually compiled an impressive list of offers before zeroing on his three finalists. Oregon, which added two of his former teammates earlier in the year, made a strong push and looked like the team to beat.

USC's efforts, led by defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and outside linebackers coach Roy Manning, remained consistent, however, and that eventually led to Peevy's decision to pick the Trojans.

His addition means another versatile piece is coming to the USC defense, and his plan is to continue to be an edge rusher for the Trojans as his career unfolds.

Peevy has been used on both sides of the ball this season, catching passes as a tight end plus being used as a stand-up edge rusher over the last two months. He will sometimes put his hand in the ground as well.

The ability to play a variety of roles is something that grabbed the attention of many coaches around the country, and it will give the staff at USC a lot to work with once he arrives on campus.

Linebacker play will be pivotal as the Trojans eventually make the move to the physical Big Ten Conference, and the USC coaches have focused on adding the right pieces for those positions, accordingly. A recruit like Tackett Curtis gives the Trojans a true "Big Ten" type of linebacker while Peevy could be used in some different ways to help the defense.

His commitment is the 20th overall for the Trojans in the 2023 class, which now ranks 13th overall in the Rivals team recruiting rankings.

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