Four-star Cincinnati DL commit Benny Patterson confirms USC visit after receiving offer from Lincoln Riley's program 

Four-star defensive lineman Benny Patterson is one of the top emerging seniors in the nation. The standout from Castle High School in Newburgh, Indiana, is committed to Cincinnati but offers from other programs keep coming in.

Lincoln Riley's USC is the latest school and sent him an offer on Wednesday for the Trojans' 2025 class. The prospect tweeted his excitement, tagging USC defensive line coach Eric Henderson:

"USC Offered ✅ @Coach_Henny @Castle_Football."

Following that offer, Patterson confirmed to 247 Sports that he would make a game-day visit to USC on Sept. 28 for the Trojans' game against Wisconsin.

USC has only one committed defensive lineman in the 2025 class: three-star prospect Gus Cordova from Lake Travis High School in Texas. The cycle has 25 committed players, ranking No. 10 in the nation.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Patterson was initially committed to Northern Illinois before flipping his pledge to Cincinnati. The school has 15 committed players in the 2025 class, which ranks No. 61 in the nation and No. 13 in Big-12. Besides Patterson, the class features two defensive linemen: three-star prospects Jeremiah Kelly and Cordarrll McFee.

The Bearcats have several promising players in this cycle, including cornerback Jahmari DeLoatch, wide receiver Giyahni Kontosis, offensive tackle Jahari Medlock, running back Zion Johnson, cornerback Patrick Williams and quarterback Zebulin Kinsey.

Benny Patterson's 2024 season so far

Throughout 3 games this season, Benny Patterson has recorded 34 tackles (17 solo and 17 assisted), eight tackles for losses, four sacks and two fumble recoveries.

This week, Patterson earned a four-star rating from On3, while other recruiting channels still rank him as a three-star. But if he continues this level of performance, he is likely going to be a consensus four-star prospect.

In his junior season in 2023, Patterson recorded 70 tackles (38 solo and 32 assisted), 13 tackles for losses, four sacks and one fumble recovery.

Benny Patterson is ranked by On3 as the No. 221 overall prospect in the nation, the No. 22 defensive lineman in the 2025 class and the No. 5 recruit in Indiana. 247Sports places him as the No. 113 defensive lineman in the class and the No. 27 recruit in the state.