USC Trojans flip Justin Tauanuu from Stanford Cardinal
Justin Tauanuu is staying close to home after all.
The 3-star offensive lineman from Huntington Beach announced on Twitter a short time ago that he's committed to USC, a day after decommitting to Stanford.
A 6-foot-6, 285-pound senior is ranked the No. 37 top recruit in California for the Class of 2024, according to 247Sports. He originally committed to Stanford on June 18 and a week later visited USC.
He owns 22 offers, including ones from UCLA, Arizona, Tennessee, Nebraska and Texas.
Tauanuu's Oilers (6-5) host a CIF Southern Section Division 6 playoff game Friday against Ontario Christian (9-2). Watch the game on NFHS Network.
He is the 17th high school senior to commit to the Trojans, which includes nine 4-star recruits and three other offensive linemen, including their top-rated player overall, Jason Zandamela, a 6-3, 285-pound guard from Clearwater Academy International (Fla.). Five other future Trojans reside in Southern California.
Earlier this week, USC received the commitment of another Southern Section standout, sophomore cornerback Madden Riordan, of Sierra Canyon, vaulting the Trojans to a No. 1 national recruiting ranking for the Class of 2026.
Another California linemen, edge rusher Naki Tuakoi, recently decommitted from Stanford. The Fremont of Oakland 3-star standout re-opened his recruiting on Oct. 24 after committing to Stanford on June 12. USC has also offered to Tuakoi, who appears to be leaning to Arizona, where his high school teammate Sefo Akuila is committed.
Much like Tuakoi, Tauanuu thanked the Stanford staff for their diligence and "love" throughout the process.
