USC Making a Serious Run at Elite IMG Academy Linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng

USC offered Elite Four-Star IMG Academy LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng back in May 2022. He now has more than 40 offers.

The No. 62 overall ranked prospect in the 2025 On3 Industry Rankings has been a major recruit for a couple of years and now he’s gearing up for official visit season.

“I am taking everything day by day,” Owusu-Boateng told On3’s Chad Simmons. “I am not planning to commit over the summer, so I am taking my time. Around December, when it gets close to Signing Day, I want to get my list down to five schools. Right now, it is really early for me. I am in no rush and I am taking my time with recruiting. I am still open to all schools.”

Owusu-Boateng’s official visits

When we spoke to Owusu-Boateng at IMG Academy on March 4, USC was a school he planned on visiting at some point. That visit came last week and now he’s planning to take a late May USC official visit.

The visit to Los Angeles replaced an originally scheduled official to South Carolina.

“I am now visiting USC on May 31, Notre Dame on June 7, Ohio State on June 14 and Michigan on June 21,” Owusu-Boateng told On3.

Why USC?

WeAreSC was at IMG Academy on Wednesday and had an opportunity to speak to Owusu-Boateng. We asked why he decided to schedule an official visit to USC?

“Just Coach BAW (Bryson Allen-Williams) and coach (Matt) Entz really saying that it’s a special place and I really have to go out there to see it for myself,” said Owusu-Boateng. “Now I’ve had the opportunity to see how special it is out there. I can feel it and I can see it.

“I’ve been talking to coach BAW for a minute and I have a great relationship with him. And they’re pulling together a great 2025 D-Line class.”

It’s interesting that Owusu-Boateng is paying attention to USC’s class of 2025 recruiting effort.

“I saw that they had a Georgia commit, decommit, and go to USC,” said Owusu-Boateng. “But another aspect about USC is the school and knowing they have a top business school. I want to major in business as well. So, just seeing that aspect really drew my attention to USC more.”

Role in the USC defense

“They see me playing the Will linebacker position, because there’s many different elements of that position,” Owusu-Boateng said. “You are carrying the running back 1 on 1, you are in the box and you’re playing space. USC sees me as a player who can really play as a three-down linebacker and play up on the edge.

“They’re seeing me as somebody who has many traits and talents who can do a lot for them. It’s a great feeling.”

D’Anton Lynn

Although Matt Entz and Coach BAW are Owusu-Boateng’s main contacts at USC, D’Anton Lynn is another coach who impressed him.

“Just knowing the NFL experience he had, that he was a player at Penn State and knowing he went through different steps to become a DC, means he’s been in my shoes,” said Owusu-Boateng. “Knowing that you have a coach who has NFL experience and coached NFL guys, it’s a really good thing just to look at that and know you’re gonna get developed the right way.”

What’s important

There are some guys who talk about the significance of the academics at the colleges they’re looking at, but most high school football players ranked in the On300 have NFL aspirations. What they’ll realistic do is major in football and minor in school.

Owusu-Boateng was seriously looking at Stanford at one time, so that’s typically a clear indication the value of a degree matters to a recruit.

“I would say education is the most important aspect,” said Owusu-Boateng. Okay. “I’m a firm believer that football is not for long. After football, you know, what are you going to have to fall back on?
So, education for one and development. At that school that you’re gonna get developed, not only as a football player, as a man. “Just knowing all the life opportunities that a school has that they can supply for you is really important.

“L.A., it’s a big marketplace and I will be in the middle of all of it. You can build connections with millionaires who I went to USC. Kings of Africa send their children to USC. They see USC as a big brand.”

On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM)

As of May 3, Florida has a 20.1% to 14.2% lead over Ohio St. to land Owusu-Boateng per the On3 RPM, followed closely by Michigan 12.1%. Notre Dame is No. 4 at 10.1%.

The post USC Making a Serious Run at Elite IMG Academy Linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng appeared first on On3.