Top-5 2025 TE Ethan Barbour building relationship with Hanson, Riley

USC landed a commitment from 2024 Georgia four-star tight end Walter Matthews earlier this week. They are now working on 2025 Alpharetta (Ga.) four-star tight end Ethan Barbour with the same goal in mind.

Barbour earned his USC offer back in February and was finally able to visit for the first time this week.

WeAreSC spoke with Barbour about his experience and was able to get his insight on his thoughts on the Trojans.

Hanson putting in effort with Barbour early

While on his visit, Barbour was able to connect with tight ends coach Zach Hanson. Hanson has been strong in his recruiting in recent times, so it is no surprise that Barbour has good things to say.

“I spent probably about two hours with Coach Hansen. Also talked to Coach Riley for like 30 minutes. So, you know, that’s real good that I could keep building my relationship with them. You really get to know what they’re doing.”

“Coach Hanson, you know, he likes the type of player I am. You know, I’m versatile. I can block in line and I can also be a split out as a wide receiver. He really liked that about me.”

USC left an impression already, looking like a contender

Barbour was busy this week with all the other activities taking place for prospects in Los Angeles. But even in the time he was at USC, he felt good enough to know he wants to return.

“I do have plans on coming back. It’s real nice out here, I like city vibes. Coach Hansen, real great guy, you know and Coach Riley, I mean, he’s got one of those powerful offenses in college football. The stats speak for itself. One of his tight ends at OU was Mark Andrews and they were showing me how he was first team like three years in a row [under Riley]. So that’s really good to hear that they can use the tight end effectively.”

While with Hanson, Barbour spent time watching film, getting a good understanding of what USC is planning to do and how Barbour can factor into that.

“I didn’t watch film on Mark Andrews, but we watched film of the USC tight ends. Things they were running, how they were getting open, and coach scheming things up for them.”

USC recruiting Barbour to be a big time offensive threat

Barbour described what the USC offensive staff was pitching to him in their conversation. Based off Barbour’s description, it sounds like Hanson and Riley think quite highly of the elite tight end.

“[They want be to be] that dude that they can never take off the field, because now they have two positions. They gotta take one off the field. But, you know, if you have a versatile guy, you don’t want to take ’em off the field. If you go 10-personnel, then you can split them out wide and if you go 11-personnel, you can put them on the line.”

USC interest is a new thing for Barbour

“I never thought I was gonna have interest in USC. I knew I was gonna have Oklahoma because [Lincoln Riley] was there. But then he came to USC, so I have interest there.”

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