Lincoln Riley receives major update as 4-star LB commits to USC

Since the arrival of Lincoln Riley as the head coach of the USC Trojans in Nov. 2021, the team has been on a steady decline. The team had an excellent first season, going 11-3 and appearing in the Pac-12 Championship Game. However, the team fell to eight wins in 2023 and only had seven in 2024.

The Trojans are looking to get back on track and contend in their second season in the Big Ten. One of the ways the team can grow is to have strong recruiting classes.

On Wednesday, news broke that the Trojans had a new commitment. Four-star linebacker AJ Tuitele has committed to Riley's Trojans.

He boosts a recruiting class that is ranked 154th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten, according On3. Tuitele is the 11th four-star recruit to pledge to USC this offseason. Furthermore, the squad has a commitment from one five-star prospect, quarterback Husan Longstreet.

AJ Tuitele speaks about his decision to commit to Lincoln Riley's USC

AJ Tutitele had previously committed to Washington State but was released from his financial aid agreement when the Cougars coaching staff left for Wake Forest. He received an offer from Lincoln Riley and the Trojans a little over a week later. He went on a visit to the campus on January 18th, which turned out to be key in his decision.

"I just felt the family atmosphere of the whole team and the coaching staff when I went on my visit," Tuitele told On3. "That was a big part of my commitment. They’re already giving me ideas on my development in college, so that was a factor too. Another reason I committed to USC was that they have a great game plan for me when I get developed."

Tuitele was also reportedly seriously considering offers from Arizona, Texas and UNLV. He told On3 that the hardest part of deciding was telling the coaches from those other schools that he would not be joining their team.

"What was tough was the coaches I had to tell the news to, I’m excited to see my development and to create that bond with my new brothers for the next 3-4 years," he added.

Tuitele joins the Trojans as the 15th-ranked linebacker and 147th-ranked overall prospect in the nation according to On3.