6/5/2023 football Edit

USC picks up key commitment from local 4-star CB Dakoda Fields

Matt Moreno • TrojanSports

Recruiting Analyst

Matt began his career at Rivals in 2011 as recruiting editor and then publisher for Arizona affiliate, GOAZCATS.com. In 2022, he moved into an expanded role covering Pac-12 recruiting for Rivals.

USC has a new highest-rated commit as of Monday morning.

The Trojans added a big commitment from local four-star cornerback Dakoda Fields to begin the week after the 6-foot-2 prospect from nearby Gardena Serra High School announced his decision following his official visit to the hometown school.

The addition of Fields is a major recruiting victory for Lincoln Riley, Alex Grinch and Donte Williams as the 10th-ranked cornerback in the class had been trending toward Oregon for most of the spring.

Fields is the ranked the No. 111 overall prospect in this 2024 recruiting class and is the third commitment this weekend for the Trojans, joining three-star offensive lineman Hayden Treter (Englewood, Colorado) and four-star safety Jarvis Boatwright (Clearwater, Florida).

He is USC's sixth overall commitment, though there have been three others teased with the traditional Fight On emoji alert on Twitter from coach Lincoln Riley that have yet to be formally announced. Fields' commitment boosts the Trojans to No. 29 in the Rivals team recruiting rankings.

Fields planned to take an official visit to see the Ducks in the final visit weekend before the July dead period, but he decided the time was right to make his decision after the USC visit. Washington and Miami had also been set to host him on official visits this month.

USC had made Fields a priority ever since offering him last spring, and he felt the presence of the hometown school in the final weeks before his commitment. Grinch and Williams both were at his school to see him recently, and it helped Fields understand how much he is a top priority for the staff.

"Coach Donte makes me feel like I'm No. 1 on his board right now, and I think I am," he previously told TrojanSports.com. "Besides Zabien Brown (at Mater Dei HS) and Marcelles Williams (St. John Bosco), I think I'm one of the corners that are up there on the board."

Brown visited USC over the weekend as well, and Williams has a visit to see the Trojans once again coming up later this month.

Fields is still building his bond with Grinch, but he has been impressed by the USC staff and its track record in the secondary.

“I haven't really watched, seen a lot from Grinch," he said. "Me and him been building like more of a personal relationship, but I definitely rock with Donte. I like just the way he's been able to develop the amount of DBs he has."

The Trojans signed just one cornerback in the 2023 recruiting cycle, Maliki Crawford, so there has been added emphasis on bringing in recruits at that position for 2024.

Fields represents the start to that group after picking the Trojans over offers from programs such as Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and UCLA among many others.