USC Shooting for the Stars with Defensive Line Recruiting
Whether it was on the WeAreSC.com GarryP Trojan Huddle Message Board or written in articles we’ve published, a HOT TOPIC has been Defensive Line Coach Eric Henderson’s impact on USC recruiting.
Although Coach Henderson, aka Coach Henny, was in the midst of a playoff run with the L.A. Rams and wasn’t officially added to the staff until January 15, he immediately hit the ground running with recruiting.
Two of the first elite prospects Coach Henny visited were Five-Star Manchester (GA) DL Justus Terry (1/24) and Four-Star Warner Robins (GA) Edge Isaiah Gibson (1/30).
Henderson also hit up Five-Star Savannah (GA) DL Elijah Griffin, Four-Star Charlotte (NC) DL Trajen Odom and many others who have since taken unofficial visits and also set June USC official visits.
5-Star Justus Terry – USC Commit
Justus Terry (Photo by Jeremy Johnson)
Terry had been a Georgia Bulldog commit since January 2023 and Gibson was at the top of Kirby Smart’s wish list for Edge prospects. There was little reason for either to look at USC seriously, mostly because the Trojans weren’t really trying prior to a few months ago.
“USC offered me way back when I was in ninth grade, but they never really talked to me,” Terry told WeAreSC last week after Manchester’s Spring Practice. “Coach Henny came in and changed that around. I’m on the list for the top D-Linemen that he wants, so he came and got me.”
While we get there is a lifetime in recruiting time between now and the early December signing period, Terry’s commitment hardly appeared shaky after we visited him on May 2.
“I really just went out there open minded, just really looking forward to what will help me in the future,” said Terry about his first USC visit. “I just put everything I was hearing to the to the side. You know, everyone talking about money and coaches, and that’s what changed my mind. No. It’s really about me, my business opportunities and my future.
“I see myself being out there with the population they have, and it will help me start my business at an early age and benefit my future.”
5-Star Isaiah Gibson – USC Commit
Photo by Chad Simmons/On3
On March 23 Terry and Gibson met for the first time at LAX. I would’ve assumed they had met on schools visits to places like Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, Florida St. and other top schools in the region, but they surprisingly hadn’t.
But both Terry and Gibson’s main attraction to USC began for similar reasons, Coach Henny.
“I like his coaching style and he’s from the south, he’s from New Orleans,” Gibson said. “I feel like I personally want to be coached by a southern person. It doesn’t matter if he’s gonna be in the SEC, it’s just the fact that he’s coaching. I feel like the southern culture of football is way different than anywhere in the country. So I just feel like that’s just a good opportunity to go to USC for sure.
At one point Gibson was set to take his USC official visit June 21-23, but he’s decided to wait until the Fall to take it.
Interesting nugget on Gibson
Gibson provided extremely interesting commentary after we asked what his mom thought of USC and his commitment to the Trojans.
“My mom, she loves LA.,” said Gibson. She’s in the army, so she’s out there a lot. Probably three to four times a year. So, she loves it there. After I leave for school, she’ll move out to the West Coast.
“She’s thinking about moving to San Diego. So it just she just loves the overall feel of L.A. for sure. She loves the beach and you can’t beat L.A. weather. It’s always good and nothing like Georgia.”
Eric Henderson and recruiting
While there was proof Henderson was among the elite coaches in the NFL and there was no reason to doubt he wouldn’t be just as successful in the college ranks, prior to February we were mostly speculating on his potential recruiting prowess.
Next month USC will host most of the guys listed above on official visits.
Justin Hill, Myron Charles, Malik Autry, Xavier Ukponu and Kevin Oatis are scheduled to take their USC officials June 7-9.
From June 21-23, the Trojans will host Elijah Griffin, Justus Terry, Jared Smith, Trajen Odom, Brandon Brown and Gus Cordova. We believe a few more will be added and a few subtracted in the coming weeks.
5-Star DL Elijah Griffin – Savannah (GA)
Photo by Chad Simmons/On3
For most it would’ve been enough for USC to earn the Terry and Gibson commitments, but USC also has a legitimate shot with Griffin.
Much like Justus Terry, USC wasn’t really pursuing Griffin prior to Eric Henderson’s hiring. Henderson is looking to add the best of the best to his and Shaun Nua’s room, regardless of where they’re from or which schools are chasing them.
One of the first players Coach Henny stopped by to see after joining Lincoln Riley’s staff in January was Griffin. Henderson was back in Savannah earlier this month for another school visit.
“He (Henderson) was the first one from USC to reach out and make that first impression on me,” said Griffin. “You know, coming down to the school and then talking to me, talking to my mom and building that relationship. Before Coach Henny came by, I wasn’t really looking at USC.”
Coach Henny’s January visit to Savannah Christian led to Griffin’s March unofficial visit.
“I just wanted to see how he work with his players and how he coaches them,” Griffin said. “He coached one of the best defensive players to ever play the game. To see that in action kinda is kinda crazy, you know? So, I just wanted to see for myself.
Griffin and the other March 23 visitors were able to experience a USC practice, despite the challenging weather that day. We asked Griffin if the way Coach Henny coaches is really that different from other coaches?
“Yes sir, it is completely different,” said Griffin. “The way he actually dials in on a specific player’s needs, because everybody’s different. Some person might not understand visually. They might understand in another way being demonstrated or what not. You know, just getting to know the way guys think and how each individual operates.”
Why Griffin’s returning to USC
Getting the caliber of players USC hosted on campus prior to June was vital in the Trojans actually having a shot of signing them. While Griffin saw and experienced a lot in. Los Angeles two months ago, his mother wasn’t with him on that visit.
“What I just really want is for my mom, my little sister and my grandma to see what I experienced, because last time just my uncle came up with me,” Griffin told WeAreSC. “So it was just me and him. So, I want my family to feel the vibe I did and understand what’s going on in this process.
“You can’t go wrong with L.A. The beaches, the weather is really nice and great food obviously. School wise, they have one of the top business schools in America. I’m looking into business management. So, I always look into the business aspect of the school regardless of what’s going on.”
5-Star Edge Jared Smith – Alabaster (AL)
Smith, from Thompson HS in Hoover (AL), is another elite prospect we’re hearing USC has a very good shot with. If the Trojans were to get any combination of five or six of the defensive linemen listed anywhere in this article, that would be an exceptional haul of D-linemen. Perhaps the best USC has had in my 22+ years covering the Trojans.
While Smith did have an opportunity to see quite a bit of the USC campus and spend time talking with the coaches when he visited USC Feb. 3, the big draw to USC right now is Eric Henderson.
“I went on unofficial out there in February,” said Smith. “Coach Henny is a great person. He tries to relate to you as much as he can and that’s what I like about him. He just doesn’t talk about football, he talks about life outside of football and I like that a lot.
“He’ll call, ask how’s mom doing, how’s sister doing, how I’m doing and how school’s going.”
Developing a trusting personal relationship is vital with all recruits, but so is earning the confidence they can develop guys like Smith into high-end NFL Draft picks down the road. Coach Henny checks that box with every prospect he’s pursuing, including Smith.
Pretty impressive quote below from Smith on Coach Henny.
“He (Coach Henny) coached where I’m trying to go,” Smith said. “That’s the end goal, to get where he’s coached. So, just him coaching Aaron Donald, laying hands on him and seeing the outcome, why not….you know? He’s considered by many to be the best defensive lineman to ever do it in the NFL.”
5-Star Jahkeem Stewart, potential reclassification
Photo: On3
USC is also setting its sights on elite 2026 targets like Jahkeem Stewart, TomTom Topui, Bryce Perry-Wright and others. Stewart’s planning to announce his school choice in early January 2025.
One of the primary reasons USC’s become an extremely attractive spot for elite defensive linemen, was the addition of former L.A. Rams DL coach and New Orleans native, Eric Henderson.
“Coach Henny is from New Orleans and I really like the way he coaches,” Stewart said. “He coaches similar to my Clyde (Alexander). When he got hired, it shook my eyes because him and coach Clyde are best friends. So, whenever he was on L.A. Rams, Coach Clyde was telling him about me. He didn’t believe it. So, whenever he’s really seen me in person and seen me work, it blew his eyes.
“He sees me as the next great and it’s a blessing to be in these shoes and being recruited by Coach Henderson. He’s a great coach, you know, one of the best coaches in college football right now.”
Stewart’s back at USC in June
With a school choice coming in January and Stewart seriously considering a reclassification to the 2025 recruiting class, the remainder of this offseason will be spent training and visiting the schools he’s seriously considering.
One of the June visits for Stewart and Coach Alexander will be for one of USC’s Elite Football Camps.
“In June, I really just want to work out with coach Henderson,” said Stewart. “Show him what I can do and get a feel on what it’s like working with him. Me and coach Clyde will be going to the schools that I’m really considering and just working with those coaches to see how I like it.”
4-Star Trajen Odom – Charlotte (NC)
Odom took his USC official visit last month and he’s another top defensive line target the Trojans are in a very good spot with. Coach Henny’s going all out to gain a commitment from Odom and the April 6 visit was a significant part of that effort.
“The visit just helped me build a better relationship with the staff,” said Odom. “And it also allowed me to really learn and get a better understanding of Coach (Lincoln) Riley, Coach D’Anton Lynn and Coach Henny’s plan for how they will elevate the program.
“Coach Henny is very impactful with my interest in the school. He’s is a coach that I know has the ability to develop guys, he has confidence in his teachings and he is genuine. He sees me being as d-linemen playing all across the line in whatever scheme the line would be in.”
We don’t typically hear a kid living in North Carolina say he’d be closer to home if he chose USC for college, but Odom is a unique case. He’s from Los Angeles and lived nearly half his life there. He was born in L.A., then moved to North Carolina, back to California for a stretch and back to Charlotte.
Odom has talked about the interest in returning to the West Coast and intrigued with the opportunity to get coached by Henderson, but USC has to reciprocate that interest. And USC has made Odom a big priority and left no doubt about their interest…it’s very high.
“USC is definitely making me feel like a top priority,” Odom said. “USC is one of my top 2 schools.”
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