USC football: 2023 recruiting class superlatives

The Trojans 21-player class currently ranks as the No. 12 group in the country per 247Sports.com's composite rankings

USC's 2023 high school recruiting class may not be fully complete yet, but with National Signing Day in the books, let's hand out some superlatives. 

The Trojans 21-player class currently ranks as the No. 12 group in the country per 247Sports.com's composite rankings. USC is still waiting on 5-star tight end Duce Robinson's college decision.  

CLASS OF 2023 SUPERLATIVES

Best Get: WR Zachariah Branch

As the unanimous No. 1 wide receiver in the 2023 class, Branch is USC's best addition in 2023. At 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds, Branch has been compared to Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill as a prospect.

Most Needed: LB Tackett Curtis

The Trojans added Shane Lee and Eric Gentry in the transfer portal a year ago and the duo logged the most snaps out of USC's linebacking corps in 2022. Despite playing such big roles, both players struggled. The Trojans desperately need some new blood at linebacker and Curtis has the potential to see the field as a true freshman. He's the highest rated linebacker prospect USC linebacker coach Brian Odom has signed in his coaching career. 

Highest Ceiling: QB Malachi Nelson

Lincoln Riley is a quarterback whisperer and Nelson is a 5-star prospect — the QB's ability combined with Riley's tutelage is a match made in heaven. Riley has coached three Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks in his career as a head coach. That's Nelson's ceiling.

Biggest Surprise: TE Walker Lyons

The Trojans swooping in and securing the signature of Lyons, a 4-star tight end, was one of the two 'good' surprises of the two signing days for USC. Lyons was a long time Stanford commit, but he de-pledged when David Shaw resigned. Georgia and Utah were in on Lyons, but USC managed to seal the deal — it was a nice recruiting victory. Landing Arizona wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane was the other good surprise for USC.

Day 1 Ready: WR Zachariah Branch

It's a repeat, but Branch has to be the pick here. 

"I don't see any scenario where he's not an instant impact guy," 247Sports.com recruiting analyst Greg Biggins said of the 5-star prospect.

The Athletic's Antonio Morales wrote on Branch: "USC’s already deep at receiver but Branch is so talented and explosive that it’s difficult to envision him not making an impact. And Riley knows how to utilize his weapons so Branch will be put in a good position to succeed as well."

Super Sleeper: WR Makai Lemon

Can a 4-star recruit who's ranked as the No. 43 prospect nationally really be a sleeper? When you're in the same class and play the same position as Branch, yes. Lemon is lightning fast and has the potential to be the best player out of USC's 2023 class three years from now. He's fearless, competitive and extremely talented. 

Biggest Wildcard: TE/ATH Kade Eldridge

When most USC fans think of the 2023 class, Nelson, the receivers and the bevy of offensive linemen are probably what come to mind. Lower down on the list is Eldridge, a 3-star prospect out of Washington who will most likely play tight end. 

According to 247Sports.com's Brandon Huffman, "Eldridge is one of the top jumbo athletes in the region, he projects to tight end in college but for his team, he lines up as a running back. So imagine a Power 5 tight end lining up in the backfield and well, it isn't a great matchup for opposing defenses. His ability to break tackles is about what you'd expect for a guy of his size- but defensive linemen were bouncing off him just as much as linebackers and defensive backs. Eldridge runs with force and runs with power."

Eldridge may be USC's goal line back down the line. He's a Swiss army knife who will play for one of the country's best offensive coaches. There's a lot of upside there. On the flip side, if he plays primarily as a tight end, Eldridge may not get a ton of opportunities in Riley's offense. 

Biggest Miss: DL Matayo Uiagalelei

USC desperately wanted Uiagalelei, a 5-star defensive lineman out of St. John Bosco High School in Southern California. He could have been USC's headlining recruit on defense, but he chose the Oregon Ducks over the Trojans.