Rightfully so, USC played up 5-star defensive end Korey Foreman's announcement Saturday to the fullest.

Foreman, who had already signed with the Trojans during the early signing period last month but kept it under wraps, formally announced his USC decision during the live All-American Bowl special on NBC.

After hitting an all-time low on the Rivals recruiting rankings last year (tied for No. 71 with Louisiana Tech, last in the Pac-12), the Trojans had pulled off a dramatic turnaround in this 2021 recruiting cycle, surging up to No. 8 after their big Saturday. But without landing Foreman -- No. 3 overall in the rankings (No. 1 for a long time and certainly still with a strong case for that top spot) and the top local prospect -- it wouldn't have resonated in the same way with the fan base.

Many had come to doubt that USC was still capable of securing the top 5-star prospects now three seasons removed from its last Pac-12 title.

As much as the middling results on the field had deflated fans, what seemed to sting even more was watching the top players in Southern California go elsewhere -- to Oregon, to LSU, to Ohio State, to Clemson, etc.

Foreman's recruitment came to represent far more than just adding a game-changing defensive end. He had been the top priority for USC before this 2021 recruiting cycle had even really begun in earnest. The Corona Centennial HS standout had debuted as the No. 1 player in the initial 2021 rankings and had become a must-get in the eyes of fans (and for those inside the program as well, for that matter).

He represented whether this program under this coaching staff could still compete for prospects like him, whether a Korey Foreman believed enough in the direction of USC football to commit his future to it.

That's why Saturday was so big for USC -- and why the response was so substantial.

We rounded up the best reaction from social media, starting with the hype video that USC released after the announcement Saturday.

RELATED: Commitment Analysis: What kind of impact can Korey Foreman make immediately at USC?