TE Jack Yary commits to USC to continue family legacy with Trojans
As Jack Yary progressed through the recruiting process and piled up his offers and options, there was one thing only USC could deliver him.
The chance to carry on a proud family tradition and legacy.
Yary, a 3-star tight end from Murrieta Valley High School, is the son of USC legend Ron Yary, who starred for the Trojans from 1965-67, winning a national championship as a senior before being selected No. 1 overall in the 1968 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. The elder Yary was a 7-time Pro Bowl selection as an offensive lineman and is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
And now his son is eager to blaze his own path at USC, as he announced his commitment to the Trojans via Twitter on Wednesday evening.
Yary is the fourth commitment for USC in this 2020 recruiting class, joining 4-star quarterback Bryce Young (Mater Dei HS), 4-star wide receiver Joshua Jackson (Narbonne HS) and kicker Parker Lewis (Saguaro HS/Scottsdale, Ariz.).
"The ultimate thing for me was the academics and my family legacy at the school," Yary told TrojanSports.com of his decision. "USC gives you so many connections after football it is almost impossible to fail. Plus, it is awesome to walk around and play on the same field my pops played on."
Yary is listed at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds and ranked the No. 18 tight end in this class. He would presumably be the only tight end the Trojans look to sign in this cycle after adding two 4-star TEs in the 2019 class and with other pressing needs and limited spots to fill for 2020. Tight ends coach John Baxter was his lead recruiter.
Yary had 33 catches for 386 yards and 6 touchdowns in nine games last fall for Murrieta Valley, according to MaxPreps.
"They have told me they are going to use me all over the place, such as coming out of the backfield in play-action sets to flexing out wide or putting my hand in the dirt and being an extra lineman to help in the run game," Yary said. "My strongest attributes I feel are definitely my speed and hands. I feel once I get in the open field, I can really get yards after the catch."
Yary said his family left his college choice up to him and he felt no pressure to follow in his father's footsteps, but the opportunity to do so was personally important to him.
"My dad was great during the recruiting process. He did not pressure me at all and left the decision completely up to me," Yary said. "Him going there was a big part in my decision because I always thought it would be amazing to keep the family legacy going."
The elder Yary was a two-time consensus All-American in 1966-67. After garnering accolades on the defensive line as a sophomore at USC, he moved to the offensive line for the rest of his career. As a senior, he became the first (and still only) Trojan to win the Outland Trophy (best college interior lineman). He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
The top pick in the 1968 NFL Draft by the Vikings, Yary stayed with the franchise through the 1981 season before playing his final season with the Los Angeles Rams. He made seven straight Pro Bowl teams from 1971-77 and was a six-time First-Team All-Pro and two-time Second-Team All-Pro. He made 187 starts and played in 207 NFL games overall.
Growing up, though, the younger Yary was not pushed into football. It was quite the opposite.
"My dad never let me play football until I was in high school," he said. "So I was kind of upset about that, but I trusted his judgement and in the end it ended up all right. He always gave me pointers after my games on what I can improve on, and I have not taken his knowledge for granted."