Rated the nation’s No. 237 overall prospect and No. 24 offensive tackle, Elijah Paige accumulated more than 30 scholarship offers during the recruiting process. The Pinnacle High School (Phoenix) prospect decommitted from Notre Dame and picked USC earlier this week.
The offers Paige received included Notre Dame, Auburn, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Stanford, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
Paige’s recruitment could open the door to another elite recruit: Duce Robinson.
It is hard to shake the notion that Notre Dame’s slow start to the 2022 season, especially on offense with a sputtering attack which lost to Marshall (a team which subsequently lost to Bowling Green later in September), had at least some connection to Paige’s change of heart and his shift to USC and Lincoln Riley, a short distance from Phoenix along Interstate 10.
“USC is a special place,” he told On3 Sports. “What they are doing on the field speaks for itself, but the culture that they are building over there is second to none. I see the vision that Coach Riley has and it’s something that I need to be a part of.”
USC lands O-lineman Elijah Paige, who decommitted from Notre Dame; 1st consensus 4-star since 2019
The Trojans will hope they’re not finished at Pinnacle in this recruiting cycle. The nation’s No. 1 tight end, five-star Duce Robinson, is Paige’s teammate. This creates a 2-for-1 opportunity for Lincoln Riley. Robinson is still atop the board and at the forefront of USC’s list of priorities.
Robinson’s collection of interested schools includes: Georgia, Texas, Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas A&M and Utah. Robinson is a dual-sport (baseball) athlete.
With USC’s potential depth chart and preseason ranking, Robinson should land in L.A. He could earn a spot on the Trojans’ baseball team as well with a new coach, Andy Stankiewicz, beginning his tenure at USC this year.
BREAKING: Four-Star OT Elijah Paige has Committed to USC!
The 6’7 305 OT from Phoenix, AZ was formerly committed to Notre Dame.
High school teammates with Five-Star TE Duce Robinson. “I am definitely excited to recruit him.”
More Here (FREE): https://t.co/iNYCZPAF31 pic.twitter.com/YK8phIOVZb
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 3, 2022
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