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Marquis Gallegos grew up a fan of USC, but when the Trojans offered it wasn't a completely open-and-shut case that he would end up staying home for college. Along the way, he added offers from programs across the country including Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee and Oklahoma to name a few.

Those programs were intriguing to him as well, but he pushed forward and continued to get to know the new coaches in town leading him to build a strong relationship with the USC staff.

"I wouldn't say that it clicked in my head right away that that's where I wanted to go," he said Tuesday after announcing his commitment to the Trojans. "Over time, USC kind of pushed themselves ahead of everybody else."

Gallegos was surrounded by many family members and friends as he announced his decision Tuesday at El Tejano in North Hollywood. There was plenty of cardinal and gold in the crowd when he made his decision. Getting an opportunity to stay close to those he cares about most and play in front of them with the Trojans certainly mattered quite a bit as well.

"It means the world to me," Gallegos said. "My family and my friends have been the biggest support system through my whole journey. So, being able to be close to them and have them come out to my games is really big in my decision."

Proximity mattered to Gallegos, and so did his love of the program from his childhood. However, without Lincoln Riley there is certainly no guarantee that he would have ended up with the Trojans.

As Gallegos continued to get to know the USC head coach, it became clear to him that Riley is someone he wants to play for in the coming years.