Four-star LB Tackett Curtis builds USC’s defensive depth

The USC Trojans keep adding names, and it won’t end anytime soon. On the first day of the early signing period, Zachariah Branch, Makai Lemon, and Malachi Nelson — all five-star offensive players — signed their NLIs.

That wasn’t all, either. Lincoln Riley was nowhere close to being done. According to Shotgun Spratling of 247Sports, the Trojans officially landed Tackett Curtis, a four-star linebacker who had been committed to USC since the summer.

The official USC football account confirmed the move. This is another step in the right direction for a team desperately in need of talent on defense after a rough end to the season.

Curtis drew plenty of interest from other big-name programs, including Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Notre Dame, and plenty more.

Curtis played a hybrid safety/linebacker role in high school and should be a massive boost for the defense, one that just lost Ralen Goforth but then brought in a flurry of other players on defense.

Officially official: The special week for Many’s @curtis_tackett continues as he signs with @uscfb.

The 4⭐️ LB has been pure class on and off the field and excited to see the next chapter as he graduates later this month @KALBSports pic.twitter.com/6bvsFNlqEV

— Dylan Domangue (@dylanMD16) December 15, 2022

The Trojans also added Oklahoma State transfer LB Mason Cobb, so they have brought in a ton of talent over the past few days on defense as that is clearly a priority for the Trojans in 2023 and beyond.

There should be more big names should be coming to USC, but right now, the thought of Tackett joining Cobb, Eric Gentry, and Shane Lee in the linebacker room makes USC’s defense look more robust and formidable than it did a few weeks ago.