The Trojans hope so. I spoke with a source within the program who confirmed USC is very interested in bringing in a defensive lineman this summer to contribute immediately. In fact, the staff is open to adding more than one.
The top target is Utah grad transfer Stevie Tu'ikolovatu. The hiccup with him is that he has not been granted permission to transfer within the conference. The Pac-12 recently instituted a rule in which grad transfers must be given a separate release from their school to play for another school in the conference. (In contrast, Tu'ikolovatu is already free to transfer to any FBS program outside of the Pac-12 at this moment.) USC hopes to learn by the end of the month whether Tu'ikolovatu is coming.
The added benefit in bringing a senior grad transfer (like Tu'ikolovatu) is that while he would count against USC's 24 slots in the 2017 signing class (blueshirt kicker Michael Brown will account for No. 25), he wouldn't affect the 2017 scholarship total. The Trojans won't be able to sign a 24-member class next year anyway because they'll reach the 85-scholarship limit before they reach 24. So, nothing is lost by bringing in a grad transfer with one year of eligibility.
USC has also offered a few junior college transfers, and I'm told the Trojans would consider adding one even if they got Tu'ikolovatu. The defensive line remains a huge area of concern this offseason, as USC has just eight healthy D-linemen on scholarship and none have more than a year of experience. (There have been internal discussions about possibly using offensive tackle Chuma Edoga or another offensive lineman on the D-line this fall.)
Of course, adding a JC transfer with two years of eligibility would mean one less spot in the 2017 class, which is plentiful with potential impact players in the trenches. It's a risk/reward USC is considering.
The top target is Utah grad transfer Stevie Tu'ikolovatu. The hiccup with him is that he has not been granted permission to transfer within the conference. The Pac-12 recently instituted a rule in which grad transfers must be given a separate release from their school to play for another school in the conference. (In contrast, Tu'ikolovatu is already free to transfer to any FBS program outside of the Pac-12 at this moment.) USC hopes to learn by the end of the month whether Tu'ikolovatu is coming.
The added benefit in bringing a senior grad transfer (like Tu'ikolovatu) is that while he would count against USC's 24 slots in the 2017 signing class (blueshirt kicker Michael Brown will account for No. 25), he wouldn't affect the 2017 scholarship total. The Trojans won't be able to sign a 24-member class next year anyway because they'll reach the 85-scholarship limit before they reach 24. So, nothing is lost by bringing in a grad transfer with one year of eligibility.
USC has also offered a few junior college transfers, and I'm told the Trojans would consider adding one even if they got Tu'ikolovatu. The defensive line remains a huge area of concern this offseason, as USC has just eight healthy D-linemen on scholarship and none have more than a year of experience. (There have been internal discussions about possibly using offensive tackle Chuma Edoga or another offensive lineman on the D-line this fall.)
Of course, adding a JC transfer with two years of eligibility would mean one less spot in the 2017 class, which is plentiful with potential impact players in the trenches. It's a risk/reward USC is considering.
