Five-star cornerback Domani Jackson announced his commitment to USC on Saturday, picking the Trojans over Arizona State, Clemson, Michigan and Ohio State.
Jackson is the No. 5 ranked prospect in the 2022 class and the No. 1 prospect from California. He is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound cornerback from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, and gives USC the No. 1 in-state prospect two recruitment cycles in a row.
That may sound mundane, but coach Clay Helton and his staff closed the 2020 cycle with the No. 54-ranked recruiting class and just one ESPN 300 bet in wide receiver Gary Bryant. California prospects fled the state, including Bryce Young, the No. 1-ranked double-threat quarterback in 2020 who fled the USC to Alabama.
The Trojans staff, who added secondary coach Donte Williams in February 2020, made a concerted effort to take back the west and keep the local outlook at home.
Those efforts paid off in the 2021 cycle, as the USC signed nine ESPN 300 recruits, including No. 1 in-state prospect and five-star defensive end Korey Foreman.
The Trojans still have a chance to land ESPN 300 linebacker Raesjon Davis. If Davis chooses USC, the school would make three pledges from the top four potential clients in California.
Jackson’s pledge gives USC three ESPN Junior 300 commitments in 2022, along with linebacker Niuafe Tuihalamaka (No. 76 overall) and cornerback Fabian Ross (No. 190).