Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge: Three storylines for USC
The Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on June 25, and with 100 of the top prospects from the 2020 and 2021 classes in attendance many college programs are going to keenly interested in the event’s outcome. One of those programs is USC. Below are three reasons why.
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1. Future QB on display
For the second year in a row, four-star quarterback Bryce Young will be throwing at the Five-Star Challenge. This time he’s the veteran. And he will be putting in a good word for the Trojans with a lot of uncommitted prospects in Atlanta as USC looks to ramp up this recruiting class.
Young is the top-rated dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class and with numerous receivers coming to the Five-Star Challenge who remain uncommitted - including four-star Mookie Cooper, who plans to take an official visit to USC, along with four-star Lavon Bunkley-Shelton and others. Young could use this chance to really start convincing players to come play with him in an offense that looks to be much more user-friendly heading into this season.
2. Flowe returns
He’s the best linebacker in this recruiting class, maybe one of the best in a long time, and five-star Justin Flowe is making it back to Atlanta for the Five-Star Challenge. Skill players should watch out because the Upland, Calif., standout is stronger and faster than he was a year ago as he continues an outstanding offseason.
Flowe’s recruitment has been really interesting as well. He loved a visit to Georgia and nearly committed on that trip. He’s also taken trips to Alabama and Clemson, with Texas coming up, but USC, Arizona State and other Pac-12 schools have stayed involved in his recruitment. Flowe could go anywhere he wants and have a chance to play early. It will be interesting to see if the Trojans can stay right near the top of his list, considering how well they’ve developed linebackers.
3. USC targets at skill positions
Bunkley-Shelton is an outstanding receiver who put up impressive numbers at Gardena (Calif.) Serra last season and that has been a pipeline school to USC, with Adoree’ Jackson, John Houston, Rasheem Green and others coming from there. But it seems like the Trojans haven’t made the four-star receiver a huge priority in this class. That could change after this event, especially if Young and others try to persuade Bunkley-Shelton to play with them in college.
Former Oklahoma commit Darion Green-Warren will also be in Atlanta, and it looks like USC is making him a top target in this class. The Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne recruit is taking his time with recruiting, but there’s no doubt the Trojans are involved
Five-star tight end Darnell Washington does not list USC as one of his favorites, but as decision time gets closer, we’ll see if the Trojans make a run at him. He’s big and phenomenally talented but might be another top West target who plays in the SEC. It would be a big loss for the Pac-12 Conference as a whole.