Maximus Gibbs on his physical transformation and Snoop Dogg connection

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Jason Negro, the head football coach at St. John Bosco High School, had a conversation with Maximus Gibbs after his sophomore season to let him know what it was going to take for the young offensive lineman to have a chance at playing college football.

But really, the message had come even earlier that fall as Gibbs rarely got on the field for the Braves.

He realized he had to lose weight, and that his size would only be an advantage at the position if he had the athleticism to make it work in his favor.

"I think he realized going into his junior year in the spring when a lot of college coaches were coming out and looking at him, and it was very evident to them and to him that, look, if you want to be a recruitable athlete and you want to be a nationally-ranked type guy, you're going to have to change your eating habits, you're going to have to lose some weight, you're going to have to basically put yourself in a position to be a little bit healthier, so that way we can recruit you. And he took it to heart," Negro said.

Gibbs says he lost about 30 pounds after his sophomore season, including a particularly aggressive approach last summer. That also included adding back some muscle mass while getting to his present 360 pounds -- and the transformation remains ongoing.

"I just got dedicated to working out and I wanted to prove people wrong and be that guy -- speak with actions and not with words," Gibbs said. "I feel way better -- moving more, feeling better. It feels better, but I'm not done yet."

It was enough to get him on the field last fall for St. John Bosco and open the eyes of recruiters from coast to coast. After having just one early offer from Nevada, his recruitment started taking off last summer as programs like Florida, Miami, Oklahoma and Nebraska extended offers.

USC offered in December, and Gibbs committed to the Trojans last month over fellow finalists Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, Arkansas and Texas A&M.

RELATED: Maximus Gibbs commits to USC | Commitment Analysis: Scouting reports on Gibbs

That validated his commitment to transforming himself, but it also added further motivation now that he knows the opportunity that awaits him at the next level.

"You've got all these people telling you 'You can't do this.' So I just had to work hard and prove them wrong," Gibbs said. "Some [teammates] that were a junior and I was a sophomore, they didn't really think I could improve, and I did. To me it just motivates me more how people underestimate me. It's good, though. I'm still humble and I still want to be a better Max."