USC Football: Scouting Trojan Commit Jide Abasirihad

We reviewed Abasirihad's film to better understand how he might impact the Trojan defense.

Prior Lake (Prior Lake, MN) defensive lineman Jide Abasirihad was a last-minute flip for the Trojans from Minnesota. Abasirihad had been committed to the Gophers for months but had a change of heart after taking a visit out to Southern California in December. 

247 Sports considers Abasirihad a three-star prospect, the 53rd best defensive lineman recruit in the class of 2024 and the 5th best player coming out of Minnesota in this cycle. So, how might Abasirihad be able to contribute to the Trojans’ defense in their inaugural season in the Big 10?

Coming in at 6-5 about 290 pounds, Abasirihad has a college-ready frame already.

Abasirihad displayed excellent hand fighting in his pass rush reps from both the defensive tackle and defensive end positions. He fires out of his stance low and plays with impressive leverage for somebody his height. Might need to work on his eye discipline at the next level, as a collegiate offensive lineman won’t be as easy to simply out-muscle as he does to a high school offensive lineman.

Physically, Abasirihad is a beast. The 290-pounder has fantastic feet to match a strong upper body and can bend the corner when rushing from the edge with relative ease. This type of athleticism is rare for somebody his size. He should be transitioning into a full-time interior defensive lineman at the next level and will need to work on how he defeats double-team blocks with technique rather than pure athleticism.

He also looks polished from an awareness perspective, and it shows in the pursuit angles he takes when chasing down scrambling quarterbacks or sweep plays. There are plenty of defensive linemen who are more polished in the 2024 cycle, but all things considered, we think Abasirihad is a low-floor but high-ceiling prospect. If he can harness his rare size/speed traits and learn how to eat up double teams, Abasirihad will be a difference-maker sometime in his second or third year in college. 

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