Xavier Ukponu is a prime target for USC football this offseason

Eric Henderson would love to get this defensive tackle aboard at USC.

2025 three-star defensive tackle recruit Xavier Ukponu got offered by USC earlier this year. Things are heating up between the Texas native and the Trojans’ staff.

Denton (Texas) Guyer High School prospect Xavier Ukponu holds offers from USC, Texas, Texas A&M, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Florida, LSU, Oregon, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Cal and Kansas.

The 6-foot-3, 290-pound lineman is the 717th-ranked player in his class overall, 71st at his position, and 115th in the state of Texas, according to the 247Sports composite rankings,

Ukponu is a four-star recruit, according to On3 and Rivals.com. ESPN hasn’t graded him, but the On3 industry ranking, which considers all four services, has him at No. 763 overall and No. 64 among defensive linemen in the class.

USC’s ability to cultivate quality defensive players should be reassessed — in a good way, for good reasons — now that the Trojans and Lincoln Riley have upgraded their defensive coaching staff. With Eric Henderson now coaching the Trojans’ defensive line — having left the Los Angeles Rams just before Aaron Donald retired from the NFL — USC has an elite teacher who can make use of incoming defensive tackles. The Trojans are in position to generate better results on their defense, maximizing the value of their recruits.

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