USC moved up 4-star LB Chris Cole’s list after a strong official visit

Back in June, Chris Cole took an unofficial visit to USC. Over the weekend, he, along with his mother and grandfather, spent the weekend in Los Angeles on an official visit. This visit took place a week before he announces his commitment on Sept. 10 and the Trojans didn’t hurt their chances.

“This visit definitely helped USC,” Cole told On3. “My first visit was for an unofficial, so I wanted to get back to see everything and it went really well. Now that I know everything, and I know what it has to offer in football, academics and NIL opportunities, USC definitely sits high on my list.”

The Trojans are up against the likes of Georgia, Miami, Tennessee and Virginia Tech for the No. 54 prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings. The four-star linebacker out of Salem (Va.) is not concerned about USC being across the country and the 48 hours on campus this weekend made a lasting impression on him.

“It is going to be hard to pass on USC. The all-around picture is what makes USC a strong contender. It is a rising program that will compete for national championships soon. They have great coaches, some great players are already there and it is the best of both worlds with football and an elite education. You have the tradition, coach Lincoln Riley, then internships and NIL opportunities in Los Angeles. There is a lot for me to like.”

Cole saw a lot he liked on the visit and the USC staff made sure he knew how much they liked him as well. USC has 15 commitments, but none play the linebacker position. Riley, Brian Odom and the staff made Cole feel like a priority.

“I had a great time with the USC coaches. We had some real one-on-one talks and they showed me a lot of love. I am the linebacker they want and they told me I could be the only linebacker in this class. That was big for me. They gave me a lot of attention and they did everything to make me feel special.

“To be a top priority means a lot. I would get developed by the staff and be a guy who gets a lot of attention from them. The visit showed me a lot.”

Cole had the game-day experience, he had in-depth conversations with the coaches and USC laid out their plan for the elite linebacker. Tennessee will get an official visit next weekend leading up to his commitment Sunday afternoon at 4pm ET.

“I will go where my heart tells me to go,” Cole added. “It will be what is best for me and where I have the best feeling at. It will be a hard choice for me. Right now, after the USC visit, it is jumbled up between a few schools at the top.”

The post USC moved up 4-star LB Chris Cole’s list after a strong official visit appeared first on On3.