Domani Jackson was committed to USC since January but with all the coaching turmoil and uncertainty there earlier in the fall, the five-star cornerback decided to reopen his recruitment.

The Trojans, Alabama and Michigan emerged as the frontrunners for the Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout and as things progressed later into the season - and after visiting Tuscaloosa - the Crimson Tide emerged as the frontrunner.

Then USC hired Lincoln Riley out of nowhere.

That coaching move along with multiple visits to campus with other elite prospects seemingly convinced Jackson to make the move back to USC and commit there on Friday, the final day of the Early Signing Period.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR USC

This is a massive statement and recruiting win for Riley and his staff. Over the last few months it looked like Alabama was going to swoop in during the turmoil at USC and land the five-star cornerback. He was very serious about playing for the Crimson Tide and was impressed with just how big and important the program felt when he visited there.

But as things settled and shook out, as Riley came onboard unexpectedly after Oklahoma’s loss in Bedlam, the Trojans crept back into his recruitment and won out.

WHO IT HURTS

Alabama will be just fine and is still holding on to the top spot in the team recruiting rankings albeit by just a slight martin. But getting Jackson would have been huge for the Crimson Tide because he’s a physical cornerback with speed and they just don’t come around all that often. Michigan was also a contender but in recent weeks - even as the Wolverines made their run to the College Football Playoff - they were slipping down his list.

WHAT THE TROJANS ARE GETTING

Jackson is fast, physical and competitive. He looks like an elite-level cornerback and plays that way, too. The five-star prospect loves to jam at the line, be in the hip pocket of receivers and make everything difficult. Sometimes, Jackson doesn’t trust his own abilities and ends up guessing to jump routes but if that could be worked out of his game then he will be even more special in USC’s secondary. There have been numerous five-star corners who have gone to USC in recent years and not panned out. But Jackson has a bright future ahead of him and with a new coaching staff in place, he should not be compared at all to the others who didn’t live up to five-star expectations.