Four-star linebacker Matai Tagoa’i adds substantial value to USC

Top-100 prospect and four-star linebacker Matai Tagoai’ has committed to the USC Trojans football program, as we noted earlier in the week.

The 2025 safety/linebacker hybrid is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound prospect out of Faith Lutheran High School in Nevada.

Tagoa’i had additional offers from Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Colorado State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, San Diego State, Tennessee, Texas, UCF, UNLV, USC, Utah and Washington.

Washington, Texas and Oklahoma were also finalists, but Tagoa’i eventually picked the Trojans.

Last fall, Tagoa’i had 73 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 9 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries and an interception.

Analyst Greg Biggins believes Tagoa’i is one of the top linebackers in the country. He added that “At 6-4, 195 pounds, he has a projectable frame and does a little of everything well. He’s an explosive athlete with a quick get-off and can really get around the edge.  He has very good closing speed and can run down plays from behind. He’s a fluid athlete and looks natural dropping in coverage and plays with a nice edge in his game as well.”

The key point about Tagoa’i is that as a linebacker, he balances out a 2025 class which has picked up a number of recruits on the defensive line and in the secondary. Matt Entz has joined the recruiting rush led by Eric Henderson and boosted by Doug Belk. There’s more balance in this 2025 defensive recruiting haul at USC.

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Story originally appeared on Trojans Wire