Recruiting Rumblings: 4-star CB Denzel Burke on USC's Donte Williams hire

MESQUITE, Nev. -- USC's hiring of cornerbacks coach and heralded recruiter Donte Williams away from Oregon has generated plenty of attention over the last couple weeks, but it's not just a nebulous buzz.

The tangible impact is hearing coveted prospects say that they are now looking at USC differently because Williams is a part of the program.

That's what 4-star cornerback and Rivals250 prospect Denzel Burke said over the weekend while competing at the Pylon 7v7 tournament in Mesquite, Nev.

"Donte Williams just got hired over there, so I was pretty pumped about that one," Burke told TrojanSports.com. "Oregon was really exciting for me, and [now] USC is exciting for me too. … He was the main reason why I was considering Oregon."

That's the impact of USC's coup to bring Williams, the Los Angeles native, back to the city, and while it especially resonates with local prospects it's not limited therein. Burke, who attends Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Ariz., is ranked the No. 9 cornerback and No. 135 overall prospect in the 2021 class -- and the Trojans are now a strong contender in his recruitment.

"As soon as [Williams] got the job, a couple days later he reached out to me. He was like, 'I'm closer now,'" Burke said with a smile.