USC addressed another major need through the transfer portal Sunday in landing Purdue defensive end transfer Jack Sullivan,

Sullivan, who had 5.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss this past season, announced his decision via Twitter. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound grad transfer has one year of eligibility remaining.

Sullivan was a three-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class. He totaled 9 sacks and 13.5 sacks overall in his time at Purdue, playing a career-high 544 defensive snaps in 2022 while tallying 35 total pressures, per PFF (24 QB hurries, 6 QB hits and the aforementioned sacks).

USC is losing its best defensive player -- All-American defensive end Tuli Tuipulotu -- to the NFL, leaving a major void at an already thin position. Veteran Nick Figueroa, who moved from defensive end to rush end during this past season, is also out of eligibility.

Between those two positions, the Trojans return only Solomon Byrd (404 defensive snaps in 2022, 4 sacks, 7.5 TFL), Korey Foreman (232, 1 TFL), Solomon Tuliaupupu (172, 2.5 sacks, 3 TFL), Romello Height (33) and Devan Thompkins, who did not factor in as a true freshman.

Height was projected to start at rush end before a shoulder injury ended his season after two games. Thompkins drew praise from older teammates for this development at practice this season, and he could work his way into the mix as a redshirt freshman this year.

USC is also bringing in four-star freshman edge rusher Braylan Shelby, who will arrive in the summer and work at the rush end (essentially outside linebacker) spot, and Georgia State transfer Jamil Muhammad, who will also work at rush end. Shelby is ranked the No. 51 overall national prospect in the 2023 recruiting class.

Height also is expected to remain at rush end, while Byrd and Foreman could likely play either rush end or defensive end.

The bottom line is the depth is still too thin at defensive end, so expect the Trojans to continue to look for more help there through the transfer market.

Sullivan is the ninth transfer addition for USC so far, joining the list with punter Eddie Czaplicki (Arizona State), Muhammad (Georgia State), defensive tackle Kyon Barrs (Arizona), wide receiver Dorian Singer (Arizona), cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace (Arizona) and inside linebacker Mason Cobb (Oklahoma State), offensive tackle Michael Tarquin (Florida) and running back MarShawn Lloyd (South Carolina).