USC is trying to keep one of California’s top 2028 defensive backs close to home, and it has an assist from one of its own.
Mission Viejo four-star Jordan Hicks has USC in his top eight, and the Trojans are leaning on a familiar face to help sell the vision. Damien (Calif.) four-star safety and top 100 recruit Gavin Williams, already a headliner in USC’s 2027 class, has been one of the loudest voices in Hicks’ ear.
Williams and Hicks go way back, having started playing youth football together when they were 12. That relationship has made the USC pitch feel personal.
“That's my guy, I grew up with him,” Hicks said. “He is talking to me the most about USC and what we could do there.”
The message from Williams has been simple and direct, and it’s the kind of line that has resonated with plenty of local recruits in recent cycles.
“The best in Cali, stay in Cali, and to really run it up, and that they're gonna do something special,” Hicks said.
USC is also getting help from another commitment in its 2027 class. Mater Dei cornerback Danny Lang has been pushing Hicks toward Los Angeles as well.
Hicks gives USC a lot to work with on the field. At 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, he has the size and versatility to end up at cornerback or safety in college. He picked off five passes as a sophomore at one of Southern California’s premier programs, though he has mostly lined up at safety over the last two passing tournaments.
Even so, USC wants him at cornerback. That’s the spot he worked at during his visit to campus last month, and cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed is his primary recruiter.
Hicks’ top eight, released Friday, includes USC, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Miami, UCLA, Oregon, Ole Miss and Alabama.
Oregon has made a strong impression, too, and this looks like it could turn into another West Coast battle. Hicks has already been to Eugene three times, most recently in June, and he came away feeling comfortable with the Ducks.
“I would say they're welcoming,” Hicks said. “I feel like it's a lot of familiar faces there, a lot of people that I know.
It's a lot of people that I feel I could get comfortable with. Guys that I grew up with knowing, the coaching staff, Coach [Rashad] Wadood is from California, so of course that helps.
It's a good place where I feel like I can develop. They have corners with the same body type.”
Hicks also had strong visits to Oklahoma and Texas A&M in the spring, along with Miami in the summer. His fall schedule already has a few key stops lined up: Ole Miss for its Sept. 19 game against LSU, then Alabama the following week when the Crimson Tide host South Carolina. He also has a visit set with USC for Oct. 31, when the Trojans face Ohio State at the Coliseum.
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