Justus Terry, the No. 2 defensive lineman and No. 8 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle, flipped his commitment from Georgia to USC on Sunday morning.
Terry, who plays for Manchester (Ga.) High School, had been committed to Georgia since January 2023. USC now has two commitments in its 2025 recruiting class — both five-star prospects from Georgia. Terry joins quarterback Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis, the No. 9 overall player in the class who plays at Carrollton High School.
What does this mean for USC?
Lincoln Riley hired defensive line coach Eric Henderson away from the Los Angeles Rams in part to boost the program’s recruiting at the position. Well, this is the first example of that. Henderson has an impressive resume. He’s coached the greatest defensive lineman in NFL history (Aaron Donald) and helped the Rams develop young D-linemen like Kobie Turner in 2023. Henderson gives USC instant credibility at the position — which it needs — because of his time and success in the NFL.
This is also another solid recruiting victory in Georgia for the Trojans. In the 2024 cycle, USC signed top-100 edge rusher Kameryn Fountain and four-star tight end Walter Matthews out of Georgia. With those two and Lewis and now Terry, it’s clear that the program has made a concerted effort to recruit that state. Now, the real battle begins — actually holding on to Lewis and Terry and signing them in December.
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(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)
