Scouting Report: A closer look at USC DE signee Tuli Tuipulotu

USC didn't have the eventful early signing day it had hoped overall, but the Trojans did land one intriguing local prospect who wasn't previously committed to the program.

Tuli Tuipulotu, a 3-star defensive end from nearby Lawndale High School, signed on Wednesday, filling one of the Trojans' needs as their lone DE so far in this 2020 class.

Tuipulotu is the younger brother of USC redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu, but he told TrojanSports.com after signing that his brother's presence on the roster was just an added bonus and not necessarily the reason for his decision.

"It’s cool to be able to play with him, but it ain’t the reason I’m there. I’m [trying to] ball and win," he said.

He noted that he liked Utah and Washington as well. Meanwhile, Lawndale HS coach Travis Clark said that Stanford and Cal were also prominent his recruitment.

Ultimately, Tuipulotu said he knew for a while the Trojans were probably the program he was leaning toward, and that was no secret around the Lawndale team this fall either.

"USC's always been there. That's like the common joke among the team and coaches -- [we'd always tell him] 'Fight On' -- we just assumed he was going to go play at USC," Clark said. "I think it got a little [tough] there because, for me personally, my kids that play, they're like my sons. I don't tell these kids where to go, they all make their own decisions, that's their decision and their family's decision and it's just amazing for me to be along for the ride. But when you have an opportunity to go to Stanford, I just had to make sure he understood what he was passing up with that opportunity.

"I just wanted to make sure he focused and really did his homework [on his decision]. Other than that, once he got past that and knew he wanted to be at USC, I knew USC was always going to be in the mix until the very last minute. And then when I saw they were still there -- USC, Cal and Stanford -- I thought it was probably going to be USC."

For a closer look at what USC is getting in the 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive end, Clark and Rivals recruiting analyst Adam Gorney provide a detailed scouting report:

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