The Trojans seem to have done it again.
CB Chris Steele is expected to enroll at USC, sources say. The Class of 2019 transfer from Florida visited campus this week and the feeling among many involved in his dizzying recruitment is that he will now go to USC.
Steele is currently an Oregon commit but has removed that allegiance from his Twitter profile. I'm told he could announce a pledge to the Trojans in the next couple days. The more important step would be to enroll. Sources confirmed Steele is free to do so now.
The second summer session does not begin until June 26, so any talk of this being a done deal is otherwise premature. Sources tell me the likelihood that he signs with USC is about 75-25. He remains a free agent until he puts pen to paper, so expect a big push from Oregon now that Steele has had a change of heart.
Two notable developments to transpire since Steele committed to Oregon on May 14: USC had a scholarship become available, and fellow 2019 prospect Bru McCoy (and to a lesser extent Velus Jones) returned to the program. Upon entering the transfer portal, USC had asked Steele to hold off on committing elsewhere until it knew whether it would have space. The Trojans were maxed out in 2019 scholarships at the time. Steele decided to quickly commit to Oregon instead, but I'm told he's had some regrets about rushing into that. Meanwhile, USC did indeed lose a player from its original signing class (and there's still a chance a second player is not coming as well.)
Additionally, Steele is a friend of McCoy's -- the two were on campus together Monday. A source present for that visit said they were given the impressions Steele would be a Trojan. USC has aggressively recruited Steele since the spot opened up and appears to have landed him. It marks another wild chapter in a recruitment that has seen him committed to multiple programs, including USC for about three months. Just last week, Steele's father dismissed the idea that his son would renege on his commitment to Oregon: “As much as we love ‘SC, Chris is not doing any jumping around."
Steele’s addition would give USC another cornerback from a signing class that already includes four incoming freshmen. The Trojans could have up to 10 scholarship cornerbacks this fall but competition for both starting jobs remains open. It's unclear whether Steele will be eligible to play in 2019 after transferring from Florida. I'm told flipping Steele could also be a deterrent for Santa Ana Mater Dei CB Darion Green-Warren, who is one of USC's top targets from the 2020 class and has strong interest in the Trojans.
CB Chris Steele is expected to enroll at USC, sources say. The Class of 2019 transfer from Florida visited campus this week and the feeling among many involved in his dizzying recruitment is that he will now go to USC.
Steele is currently an Oregon commit but has removed that allegiance from his Twitter profile. I'm told he could announce a pledge to the Trojans in the next couple days. The more important step would be to enroll. Sources confirmed Steele is free to do so now.
The second summer session does not begin until June 26, so any talk of this being a done deal is otherwise premature. Sources tell me the likelihood that he signs with USC is about 75-25. He remains a free agent until he puts pen to paper, so expect a big push from Oregon now that Steele has had a change of heart.
Two notable developments to transpire since Steele committed to Oregon on May 14: USC had a scholarship become available, and fellow 2019 prospect Bru McCoy (and to a lesser extent Velus Jones) returned to the program. Upon entering the transfer portal, USC had asked Steele to hold off on committing elsewhere until it knew whether it would have space. The Trojans were maxed out in 2019 scholarships at the time. Steele decided to quickly commit to Oregon instead, but I'm told he's had some regrets about rushing into that. Meanwhile, USC did indeed lose a player from its original signing class (and there's still a chance a second player is not coming as well.)
Additionally, Steele is a friend of McCoy's -- the two were on campus together Monday. A source present for that visit said they were given the impressions Steele would be a Trojan. USC has aggressively recruited Steele since the spot opened up and appears to have landed him. It marks another wild chapter in a recruitment that has seen him committed to multiple programs, including USC for about three months. Just last week, Steele's father dismissed the idea that his son would renege on his commitment to Oregon: “As much as we love ‘SC, Chris is not doing any jumping around."
Steele’s addition would give USC another cornerback from a signing class that already includes four incoming freshmen. The Trojans could have up to 10 scholarship cornerbacks this fall but competition for both starting jobs remains open. It's unclear whether Steele will be eligible to play in 2019 after transferring from Florida. I'm told flipping Steele could also be a deterrent for Santa Ana Mater Dei CB Darion Green-Warren, who is one of USC's top targets from the 2020 class and has strong interest in the Trojans.
