USC Takes Advantage of Coaching Moves with Critical Defensive Flips

USC adds two big signing-day decommits to its defense-loaded 2024 newcomers

USC officially signs Michigan LB Jadyn Walker and Carlsbad DL Ratumana Bulabalavu, along with Los Alamitos CB Isaiah Rubin, to round out its class

Luca Evans (OC Register)  —  LOS ANGELES — When Jadyn Walker told his mother Noelle that USC had given him a scholarship offer, she was at work on the first Saturday of December, and her son’s words hit her in shock. They lived in Michigan. Walker was committed to Michigan State. California? she thought. Can you get any further away from me?

But Noelle was shocked, really, because Walker had shown no signs of wavering on his pledge to Michigan State. A wide receiver and outside linebacker at Portage Northern High in Michigan, he had committed to the Spartans on Sept. 9 – all but hours before USA Today broke news of sexual harassment allegations against head coach Mel Tucker. Noelle sat her son down, that same day, and asked him what he wanted to do. Walker told her he wanted to stay committed. Loyalty ran deep.

Two weeks later, though, Tucker was officially and unceremoniously fired by Michigan State, setting off a month-long period in limbo before the Spartans hired Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith. The staff changed. And suddenly, amid uncertainty over those changes and with less than a month left until early signing day, USC swooped in with an all-out push – with Lincoln Riley, newly hired defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn and linebackers coach Matt Entz all flying out to visit Walker.

“He was like, ‘I just feel like there’s a reason USC reached out to me,’” Noelle said, and it was enough to persuade Walker to stay away from putting pen to paper with Michigan State on the early signing day in December.

And it was enough, too, to get Walker to officially flip from Michigan State to USC on signing day on Wednesday, signing his national letter of intent to complete USC’s 2024 class. It wasn’t the only last-minute pivot; Carlsbad defensive lineman Ratumana Bulabalavu, who de-committed from Washington after head coach Kalen DeBoer departed for Alabama in the carousel caused by Nick Saban’s retirement, signed his NLI to USC a day after officially committing.

Los Alamitos High cornerback Isaiah Rubin, who had previously committed to the Trojans, also signed his letter of intent on Wednesday.

On paper, top to bottom, USC’s 2024 class is noticeably light on offensive talent and blue-chip recruits, particularly missing out on some of the top talent in California. But after recruiting just eight defensive players in 2023, Riley placed clear emphasis on drawing defensive talent after the winter hires of Lynn, Matt Entz, Doug Belk and Eric Henderson, leading to a class with depth at nearly every defensive area: 13 of USC’s 2024 commits come on the defensive side of the ball, their most since 2019.

“It’s going to be scary for everybody else,” Walker said Wednesday.

Few defensive linemen in the 2024 class have been as prolific as Bulabalavu in high school, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound pass-rusher who racked up 60½ sacks his past three years at Carlsbad’s Army and Navy Academy. He’s been recruited in large part by returning edge coach Shaun Nua, and he stands as the first defensive line commit brought in during the Henderson era, the former Rams assistant coach hitting the 2025 recruiting trail with ferocity since his hire in mid-January.

Walker’s flip addresses a key need for both USC’s 2024 class and immediate depth: USC had just one freshman, Desman Stephens (Michigan), incoming at inside linebacker. Walker said USC recruited him to fit as a will (weakside) linebacker in Lynn’s defensive scheme; at 6-3 and 210 pounds, he recognized he’d have to put on some weight entering the fall.

“Coach Riley flying out, Coach Lynn flying out, Coach Entz, it just kinda showed love … it just showed they wanted me more, I guess,” Walker said.

The 6-1, 170-pound Rubin, a four-star recruit, is ranked the No. 25 player in California by 247Sports and No. 26 by ESPN. He is touted as the No. 32 cornerback in the country by 247Sports, No. 37 by ESPN and No. 48 by Rivals.com. In addition to playing defensive back, Rubin is considered a talented kick return specialist.

ocregister.com

___________

TrojanDailyBlog members —  We always encourage you to add factual information, insight, divergent opinions, or new topics to the TDB that don’t necessarily pertain to any particular moderator post or member comment.

 

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Golden Trojan
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February 11, 2024 12:40 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

I will use my formula, USC players + SDSU – UCLA. 3-0, 49ers over the Chefs

Golden Trojan
Major Genius
February 11, 2024 8:19 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

He would have been the difference. 😒

Golden Trojan
Major Genius
February 11, 2024 7:31 am

How important is the QB to winning in football, especially the NFL? “Mr. Irrelevant” of 2022 is starting in the Super Bowl today. This after Tommy John Surgery in the off season. Give me an underrated guy, hungry to prove himself, makes the most of an improbable opportunity any time. A generational super star is nothing in football without a good team around him.

Jamaica
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Jamaica
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February 10, 2024 10:07 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

This dedicated basketball school should hire Ed OBannon as the next football HC and then tell him there’s no NIL money to spend. Misery loves company!

Steveg
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Steveg
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February 9, 2024 4:14 pm

Just for information, if you are going to watch SuperBowl on Dish network, they will show the game in 4K, check your channel. Mine is 146.

Golden Trojan
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February 9, 2024 4:30 pm
Reply to  Steveg

Thanks, I have Dish. I will check.

Jamaica
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February 10, 2024 11:08 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

OJ, go to Keck and get the prostate taken out. Then do the follow up radiation afterwards and hope the cancer didn’t reach the Fallopian tubes to spread into the body.

PN4SC
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February 9, 2024 3:06 pm

The timing of Kelly leaving seems to have really hurt fucla. I imagine they will try to poach away D Anton Lynn. Hope he doesn’t take their call.
Very thankful that they didn’t fire Chip at seasons end. They then could have picked between Jedd Fisch and Johnathon Smith, who both are great coaches. Hopefully now they are totally screwed.

Golden Trojan
Major Genius
February 9, 2024 4:29 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Well UCLA was saved Kelly’s buy out, whatever it was. Do the Ruins and USC start to get BIG football TV money this year? I believe it is $65 million per school. That should be enough to right the ship and get someone decent. Even after the Cal Bears Tax.

Golden Trojan
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February 9, 2024 4:25 pm
Reply to  PN4SC

Hopefully Lynn realizes he is in a better run program and stays put with a pay bump from Jen Cohen.

TrojanRJJ
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February 10, 2024 8:23 am
Reply to  Golden Trojan

GT- I think the odds of Lynn taking the UCLA job are not zero, but are close to zero. It would be a very stupid move.

TrojanMPA90
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February 9, 2024 1:42 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

No way Pete Carroll takes that job as it is a dumpster fire. I could see David Shaw but it depends on if he wants to get back to coaching. Admission requirements at UCLA are easier than what he faced at Stanford.

Whoever they hire is going to be walking into a tough situation.

Love seeing the Ruins having problems like this.

TrojanMPA90
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February 9, 2024 2:04 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Chip screwed UCLA by leaving this late. February recruiting is done and the transfer portal is closed. The new coach won’t be on board till March and will have to scramble to get a staff in place and then have spring practice.

Will be interesting see who they hire.

TrojanRJJ
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February 9, 2024 2:57 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Allen, don’t you think UCLA had no choice but to keep Kelly in place? Chip was very cunning. He waited until all the coaching hires had “settled” and then started interviewing. At that time, where is UCLA going to go? Fire Chip for interviewing for other jobs? The AD had to fire Chip in November and have a new HC In place by mid-December. It is obvious given what happened that the UCLA AD had no Plan B in place for the 2024 team. Do not blame him for that. I have never heard of a HC bailing on his… Read more »

TrojanRJJ
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February 10, 2024 8:39 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

I think the AD was completely blindsided by what happened. Chip played him like a fiddle. When you get blindsided, it is best not to overreact (remember, Chip has a significant buy out which goes away sometime next year). I think I would have done exactly what the AD did. If Chip left, I would let him go at a reduced payment and then adjusted. If Chip stayed, I would started interviewing in the Fall for his replacement. I think his buy out went to zero sometime next year. As soon as it hit zero I would have fired him.… Read more »

TrojanMPA90
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TrojanMPA90
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February 9, 2024 3:34 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

They’re going to have to find somebody quickly that isn’t in a job right now and needs one.

Wonder if Martin Jarmond calls Nick Saban to see if he’s interested.

TrojanRJJ
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TrojanRJJ
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February 10, 2024 8:19 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

I think the approach John outlines below is the most rational way to solve this. It means UCLA football will most likely go into the tank for a couple of years (just like it did when Chip was first hired).

Steveg
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Steveg
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February 9, 2024 4:15 pm
Reply to  TrojanMPA90

Patterson just took an analyst job at Baylor.

TrojanRJJ
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TrojanRJJ
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February 10, 2024 8:21 am
Reply to  TrojanMPA90

Trojan MP90, Not a chance. Saban just took the job at Game Day on ESPN. And, why would he want to move to LA and go to a program will little or no financial support and not a lot of elite talent?

John Weld
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John Weld
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February 9, 2024 6:45 pm
Reply to  TrojanMPA90

Ucla is thinking of making someone on the current staff and Interim Head Coach and putting off the decision until next year when they will have more coaches to choose from.

TrojanRJJ
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TrojanRJJ
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February 10, 2024 8:18 am
Reply to  John Weld

John, I think that makes a lot of sense. It treats Chip leaving the same as if he were fired like Clay Helton, after game 3. If that happened, one of the staff moves to interim and the search starts in earnest. It is probably the best solution to a bad problem. The goal for the AD should be to keep as much of the elite talent on the team as he can. Hiring an elite coach now is simply not in the cards. So take 18 months to do the search and at the same time fund raise for… Read more »

TrojanRJJ
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February 9, 2024 2:48 pm
Reply to  TrojanMPA90

I will be interested to see who they get. Things at UCLA have to be really disastrous for Chip to bail as he did. He took a pay cut and a position downgrade to leave. all prior to spring practice. Shaw certainly could take the job as his resume is toast and candidly, he really does not need the money. Why would he do it? To go 3-9 again? I think Clay Helton is available. I mean Clay could team up with Clancy again.

TrojanRJJ
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TrojanRJJ
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February 9, 2024 2:39 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

This is stranger than fiction. Chip totally hosed UCLA. No way a quality established HC will that position. No way an up and coming talent will take that position. UCLA has zero resources to compete for staff or players. I read that the athletic department is about $100 Million in debt to the general fund. And it has to pay “Calimony” to Berkeley, I think at $10,000,000 a year. In addition, to lacking resources, the UCLA roster and incoming recruits lack any significant amount of elite talent. Hardly a position that is a stepping stone for your career! The UCLA… Read more »

Golden Trojan
Major Genius
February 9, 2024 11:46 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Good move for Chipper. Setting himself up to look more attractive for his next move. Leaves the worst program financially for one of the best. OSU also has NIL down and recruits well. I gotta think UCLA will be in the cellar of BIG football for a long time. MBB may not do well either. As Football and MBB go so goes the rest of the Athletic Department.

TrojanRJJ
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February 9, 2024 3:01 pm
Reply to  Golden Trojan

GT, I am going to disagree. It is a dick move. It shows a total lack of integrity. Chip bailed on his team of six years (and a school that put up with three years of really awful football) at the worst possible time. I do not know what happened, but I do not see how UCLA can save the 2024 season. They have no resources. They have some talent on the team, but not a significant amount of it. I have never heard of a coach bailing on his team in late January/early February.

Golden Trojan
Major Genius
February 9, 2024 4:21 pm
Reply to  TrojanRJJ

A good move for him but you are right he screwed UCLA. Chip has a rep for not recruiting well. My guess he and UCLA don’t know what to do with NIL. He probably realized he had to get out however he could.

TrojanRJJ
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TrojanRJJ
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February 10, 2024 8:12 am
Reply to  Golden Trojan

GT, You are, of course, correct. Chip first tried to get a pro OC job and no one would hire him. So, when tOSU job came open, he took it. Ryan Daye and he are friends at tOSU, Chip will have available to him elite talent, incredible resources (including one of the top pay for play NIL programs in the nation) and will not be required to do much recruiting. If Chip takes tOSU to a NC (reasonable assumption) or two, then he can then probably move on to an NFL OC job. I think Chip is a perfect fit… Read more »

TrojanRon
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TrojanRon
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February 9, 2024 1:17 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Sad to hear Rod Sherman has passed away. May he R.I.P. My grandparents attended the 1964 USC vs ND game. I met Craig Fertig when he was an assistant coach for USC at a pep rally in Chicago before the 1979 USC vs ND game in South Bend. Very classy guy!

Jamaica
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Jamaica
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February 9, 2024 11:01 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Sorry to hear about Rod Sherman. He made it to his upper 70s. That ‘64 ND game was exciting at the end. Hope to see it again on UTube if it’s there and remember those days.

John Weld
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Major Genius
John Weld
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February 8, 2024 10:24 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

I prefer this version of the picture………
comment image

TrojanRon
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TrojanRon
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February 9, 2024 1:21 am
Reply to  John Weld

Me too!

TrojanRon
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TrojanRon
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February 9, 2024 1:21 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Kobe is one of my all-time favorites. He worked so hard at his craft and was the first to show up at practice and the last to leave. His work ethic had an influence on me. I started showing up to work before the people I managed and often was the last to leave so I could get my own CFO work done. May Kobe R.I.P.

TrojanRon
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TrojanRon
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February 9, 2024 1:23 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

This young lady reminds me of the impact Cheryl Miller had at USC. To score 51 points in a game, let alone against a highly ranked Stanford team, is phenomenal.