Not every recruitment merits or deserves special treatment. Not every recruitment can or should be seen as a uniquely important or symbolic moment, because the whole nature of the recruiting business is fragile. Moreover, the importance of recruiting well is less about the one specific prospect (unless that prospect turns out to be a generational talent, particularly at a high-end position such as quarterback), and more about stockpiling depth so if there are several busts in a class, the 22-player (or 24, or 20) haul means a team still signed 12 to 14 really good players for its roster.
USC’s recruitment of defensive lineman Deyvid Palepale, however, comes across as a symbolically potent moment in ways many of its other 2024 recruitments can’t match.
We have noted that the recruitment of edge rusher Kameryn Fountain contained a measure of symbolic importance: USC was “Georgia-fying” its front seven and going into the heart of SEC country for defensive talent.
The Palepale recruitment is also potent for a very simple reason: With USC coming to the Big Ten, Palepale knew he would be able to play in a Michigan-USC or USC-Penn State game in 2024.
Whether he played in that game as a Michigan Wolverine, a Penn State Nittany Lion or a USC Trojan was his choice. He was going to be involved in one of those games, given that UM, PSU and USC were his final three choices.
He chose USC.
So, Palepale didn’t just pick USC from a three-school group; he specifically picked USC as the school he wanted to play for, against the other two schools.
If the other two schools were not on USC’s 2024 schedule, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. The resonance of the choice wouldn’t exist nearly to the same degree. It’s because USC is playing Michigan and Penn State in 2024 that a recruit’s desire to play for the Cardinal and Gold — against the Maize and Blue, against the Blue and White — creates such a noticeable impression.
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