How Korey Foreman has helped USC win with recruiting

It’s been just seven weeks since Korey Foreman signed his letter of intent to play football at USC, and a little over a month since the Corona Centennial defensive end announced this decision on a national broadcast.

Despite that short window, USC can already feel the impact that signing the nation’s top prospect is having on their ongoing recruiting efforts.

“It, one, showed other guys that here’s one of the best players in the world and he’s staying right here to accomplish all of his dreams,” USC head coach Clay Helton said. “And when that happens and other guys want to join forces.”

Helton saw a direct correlation between Foreman and the two high schoolers USC signed Wednesday on the second national signing day for the 2021 class: Loyola cornerback Ceyair Wright and Mater Dei outside linebacker Raesjon Davis.

Davis, the No. 3 prospect in California per 247Sports.com, committed to USC on Wednesday over Ohio State, LSU and Oregon. Those programs have won a lot more than USC in recent years, but Davis, like Foreman, trusted the direction in which the Trojans are headed.

“When you see the guys that are coming in this year, there’s a lot of West Coast kids that look at it and go, ‘Man, something special’s happening down there. I want to be a part of it with those guys,’” Helton explained.

Part of it was seeing USC play this season and make the Pac-12 title game with a defense under coordinator Todd Orlando that appealed to Foreman, Davis and Wright, the No. 8 in-state prospect.

Another aspect Helton credited was the new investments USC has made into the football program. The recruiting support staff has expanded to include graphic designers and video production assistants to help with what Helton described as “the artistic side of recruiting.”

And USC hired assistant coaches who were also high-octane recruiters like safeties coach Craig Naivar and cornerbacks coach Donte Williams, the latter of whom previously worked at Oregon.

“When he came on board, you could see everybody’s ears prick up,” Helton said.

The results have been immediate. The Trojans are eighth in 247Sports.com’s team rankings, a stark improvement from last year’s 64th-ranked class. After getting just one of California’s top-30 prospects in 2020, USC landed 10 in its 2021 class, which includes 14 early enrollees.

And momentum is growing for 2022, too, after adding five-star Mater Dei corner Domani Jackson two weeks ago.

All of this unfolded less than two months after Foreman decided to be a Trojan.

“It was a big pickup for us in a lot of reasons – one, the quality of person Korey is, the quality of player Korey is,” Helton said, “but also his reputation and how he relates to other guys and them coming on wanting to play with him is big.”

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