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Why Four-Star Hayden Lowe Flipped From USC Trojans To Miami Hurricanes, Mario Cristobal

USC Trojans took a big loss on the recruiting front with the de-miacommitment of an important four-star edge rusher. Hayden Lowe announced on social media that he has flipped from the Trojans to the Miami Hurricanes.

Gabriel Duarte

Oaks Christian edge Hayden Lowe posing for a photo at Miami. Former USC Trojans commit flipped to Miami
Oaks Christian edge Hayden Lowe posing for a photo at Miami. Former USC Trojans commit flipped to Miami / Hayden Lowe/X
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When it rains, it pours. Just a day after the USC football program was placed on NCAA probation and fined $50,000, the Trojans took another hit with on the recruiting front.

On Wednesday morning, USC's four-star defensive lineman commit Hayden Lowe told On3's Hayes Fawcett that he flipped his commitment from the Trojans to the Miami Hurricanes. This comes days after USC head coach Lincoln Riley visited Lowe during his Friday night game this past weekend.

USC
Oaks Christian edge Hayden Lowe posing for a photo at Miami. / Hayden Lowe/X

It's a tough loss for the Trojans who have been looking to retool their defensive front with the addition of USC co-defensive coordinators Eric Henderson and D'Anton Lynn.

Lowe's decision to play for Miami was in part to work with Miami defensive ends coach and six-time Pro Bowler Jason Taylor.

“In order to be the best, you have to be coached by the best and someone that has actually went through what you’re going through,” Lowe said about Taylor to On3. “So, I feel like nobody in college football has that power to instill what you want other than Jason Taylor — because he’s gone through it. He’s been against the best of the best. He’s gone through all the struggles, he’s won games, he’s won Super Bowls, holds records. There’s no other coach on the planet that can really give you the information that he can."

Greg Biggins of 247Sports wrote that Lowe has all the tools and size to be one of the best edge rushers in the class of 2025.

"Lowe is one of the top edge rushers in the ’25 class. He has a prototype 6-4, 240 pound frame...is a plus athlete and shows the ability to play just about anywhere along the defensive line. He’s a naturally strong kid who can take on double teams...he’s equally strong playing the run or rushing the quarterback...he hails from the same program that produced former Oregon and NY Giant 1st round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux and his coaches at Oaks feel his upside is just as high," Biggins wrote.

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Oct 20, 2023; Carrollton, GA, USA; Carrollton Trojans quarterback Julian Lewis (10) scrambles out of the pocket against the Westlake Lions during the first half at Grisham Stadium. The 15-year-old Carrollton High student has already committed to playing for the University of Southern California Trojans and has been considered one of the top high school quarterback prospects. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

It's a big loss to say the least for the Trojans as USC saw their 2025 recruiting class drop in rankings according to 247Sports. The Trojans dropped from having a top 10 class, sitting at No. 10, dropping to No. 12 after the loss of Lowe.

USC loses one of their highest rated defensive prospects with Lowe flipping. It's been a tough week for USC off the field, not only did Lowe announce his flip to the Hurricanes, but multiple recruiting sites have pegged predicitions for the Men of Troy to lose their crown jewel of their 2025 recruiting class in quarterback commit Julian Lewis.

On3's Steve Wiltfong and 247Sports' Tom Loy both put in predictions over the past week indicating that Lewis, a Trojan commit, could end up flipping to Colorado.

News also broke Wednesday morning that Lewis would end up taking a visit to Georgia this week. The Trojans have had a bad season on the field and the results are translating off the field with Lewis having a wandering eye for other schools and Lowe decommitting.

The Trojans must rally to end the season to bring back more confidence from the recruiting end and if USC can piece together a positive three game stretch to end the season vs. Nebraska, UCLA, and Notre Dame.

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Gabriel Duarte
GABRIEL DUARTE

Residing in Los Angeles, Gabriel Duarte is a senior at Cal State Northridge and is pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism. Gabriel is passionate about college athletics and is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and Oregon Ducks on SI. Gabriel has covered many college sporting events around the Southern California area including basketball and football for USC. Gabriel also writes for his local newspaper on high school sports.

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