USC lands commitment from San Diego edge rusher David Peevy

Early in his senior season, three-star outside linebacker/edge rusher David Peevy took the field decked out in Oregon gloves and Ducks bracelets. If you put stock into such things it felt like a message about his future. He has a pair of former teammates who are now at Oregon and the Ducks have made him a priority.

Still, he admitted then that an expected decision early in the fall was going to get pushed back since USC and Washington were also making it difficult on him to decide. The process came to an end Thursday, and rather than going with the presumed leader he has opted to stay closer to home and play for the Trojans.

Peevy announced his decision in the gym at Lincoln High School in San Diego surrounded by many of the most important people in his life. It was certainly not an easy choice for the versatile 6-foot-4 prospect, but he previously acknowledged that each of the schools looked like great options.

While the Huskies emerged as a legitimate contender later in the process, the battle between USC and Oregon had been a longstanding one in his recruitment. It was one that had him torn this fall.

“Oregon probably has better facilities than USC, but then USC’s academic program is phenomenal. It’s amazing,” he said. “That’s something that sticks out between both of them.”

The Trojans eventual move to the Big Ten, which will coincide with a portion of Peevy's career, is something new USC commit paid attention to when considering his options.

"Who wouldn’t want to go play in the Big Ten?” he said. “That’s great competition. I want to personally be drafted one day, and the Big Ten gets a lot of notice from the NFL.”

The delay in his decision allowed him to visit Washington during the season plus he was able to see more of each of the schools in the last several weeks.

Ultimately, he found what he wanted at USC and is now the 20th commitment in Lincoln Riley's first full class with the Trojans. He joins Braylan Shelby and Tackett Curtis as the next linebacker for USC in 2023.