Justus Terry, the No. 2 defensive lineman and No. 8 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle, committed to the University of Southern California from Georgia on Sunday morning.
Terry, who plays at Manchester (Ga.) High School, had committed to Georgia starting in January 2023. USC currently has two commitments to its 2025 freshman class, both five-star prospects out of Georgia. Terry joins Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis, the No. 9 overall quarterback in the class, who will play at Carrollton High School.
What does this mean for USC?
Lincoln Riley also poached defensive line coach Eric Henderson from the Los Angeles Rams to strengthen the program's recruiting efforts at that position. Well, this is the first example of that. Henderson's resume is impressive. He coached the greatest defensive lineman in NFL history (Aaron Donald) and helped the Rams develop young D-linemen like Coby Turner in 2023. Henderson gave USC the instant credibility it needed at the position because of his time and success in the NFL. .
This is also another solid recruiting win for the Trojans in Georgia. In the 2024 cycle, USC signed top-100 edge rusher Kamerin Fountain and four-star tight end Walter Matthews from Georgia. If you look at those two, Lewis, and now Terry, it's clear that the program has made a concerted effort to recruit in-state talent. Now the real battle begins – actually retaining Lewis and Terry and signing them in December.
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(Photo: Kirby Lee/USA Today)
