USC Trojans Land Crystal Ball For 4-Star Former Auburn Commit

After a slew of decommits, the USC Trojans seem to be turning things around. After gaining a commitment from WR Corey Simms on Sunday , they gained a commitment from local offensive lineman Elijah Vaikona today .

Now they just received a crystal ball prediction from Tom Loy of 247 Sports that 4-star OL Carde Smith will commit to USC.

Carde Smith, the 6’5, 293-pound offensive tackle from Mobile, Alabama was previously committed to Auburn. After his official visit to USC in June, he promptly decommitted and the rumors have been swirling ever since that he will be committing to the Trojans.

Related: USC Trojans 2025 Recruiting Tracker

Nothing is set in stone, and even with an official “commitment” it is still a long way from December when Letters of Intent can be signed, but this is definitely a good sign for SC after a rough couple of weeks.

Smith would be the third offensive lineman to commit in the 2025 class. Both the 2023 and 2024 classes had five offensive linemen each, so even if Smith does commit, you have to think that Lincoln Riley and OL Coach Josh Henson are not done yet.

In terms of evaluation, per Cooper Petagna of 247 Sports :

Flashes good athleticism at the right tackle position where he shows an ability to win consistently at the point of attack by utilizing his size and frame to overwhelm opposing defenders. Appears to exhibit some quick twitch explosiveness off the line of scrimmage while displaying some natural power and play strength to drive defenders off the ball consistently. Excels as a run blocker at this point of his trajectory but will more than likely need a year or two of coaching to continue to develop as a pass protector.

No date has been set on an announcement, but we should know soon where Carde Smith is officially committing.

More must-reads:

• USC Trojans Secure Commitment From Massive OL, One Of Largest Recruits In 2025
• Oklahoma Sooners AD Takes Shot At Lincoln Riley?