USC suffers loss amid Colorado's pursuit of 4-star recruit
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USC football has seen quite the ebb and flow of the 2025 recruiting cycle. The Trojans have gone from securing a prized five-star, to losing a four-star talent a few days later. Now, head coach Lincoln Riley and company may lose out to Colorado for their now former towering four-star offensive tackle commit Carde Smith.
The 6-foot-6, 290-pounder out of Mobile, Alabama decommitted from USC Wednesday, per On3.com’s Hayes Fawcett. Smith Originally committed to the Trojans back in August. He impressed Power 4 programs with his mixture of imposing size and power.
Fawcett and On3.com lists Smith as the nation’s No. 20 ranked tackle prospect. Had Smith stayed committed to USC, he would’ve had the chance to sign with high-caliber quarterback commit Husan Longstreet. The star from Centennial High School in Corona, California flipped from Texas A&M to the Trojans Sunday. USC quarterbacks coach Luke Huard, brother to former NFL quarterbacks Damon and Brock Huard, made the flip possible.
But now, it appears Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes coaching staff are doing their part to turn Smith over to Colorado.
How Colorado is gaining ground for 4-star over USC
On3.com gives Colorado a 64.6% chance to earn a verbal commitment from Smith. Tom Loy and Adam Munsterteiger of 247Sports project a higher 100% probability that Smith will head to Boulder. Sam Spiegelman of Rivals, meanwhile, jotted down why Smith and Colorado could become an eventual pairing.
“After two visits to Colorado, including an official visit in October, Smith was set to return to Los Angeles for USC’s regular-season finale vs. Notre Dame. Sources close to this recruitment tell Rivals that visit was nixed earlier this month,” Spiegelman wrote.
Sanders and Colorado offensive line coach Phil Loadholt are leading the charge to land Smith, Spiegelman adds. Turns out the Buffaloes entered the picture right around the time of Smith’s decision to join USC.
“Colorado put an offer on the table for the Alabama four-star OL over the summer right before Smith declared in favor of USC,” Spiegelman said. He includes Colorado never took its foot off the gas pedal in pursuing Smith. That even includes hosting the tackle two times for regular season games and visiting him at his Williamson High School last month.
Smith told Spiegelman: “I really like the culture and who they are, and they say I can come in and play early if I come in and work for it. I like the fact that the coaches keep it real with me.” But then came four more words that set off the Buffaloes’ desire to land him.
“They want me bad,” Smith said.
Colorado is already making aggressive moves on the recruiting trail ahead of the Dec. 4-6 signing period. The Buffaloes are attempting to nab five-star quarterback Julian Lewis, another former USC commit. Lewis has Georgia, Indiana and Alabama also in the mix. Ohio State four-star verbal pledge London Merritt is on CU’s radar too. Now, Sanders and the Buffaloes are frontrunners to siphon another prominent past USC commit.
The post USC suffers loss amid Colorado’s pursuit of 4-star recruit appeared first on ClutchPoints.
