USC football recruiting: Trojans dip into Big Ten footsteps to land 3-star DL

USC dipped into the Big Ten footprint of the newest member of its 2024 recruiting class. Deyvid Palepale, a defensive lineman from Landisville, Pa., committed to the Trojans on Saturday over Penn State and Michigan. His commitment comes one day after the Trojans earned a pledge from Braylon Conley, a three-star cornerback from Humble, Texas. Here’s what you need to know:

• Palepale is ranked No. 652 overall and the No. 63 defensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite.
• He is the sixth member of the Trojans 2024 class to live east of the Mississippi River, but the first from a state with a Big Ten program.
• USC hasn’t signed a player from Pennsylvania in the 2016 class since tight end Cary Angeline.
• Conley is ranked No. 469 overall and No. 41 as a cornerback. He also had offers from Arkansas, Auburn and Colorado, among others.
• USCs class is now ranked No. 6 nationally with 17 commitments.

What do these commitments mean for USC?

USC needs size on its defensive line. West Coast simply hasn’t produced enough great interior defenses in recent years. So even though Palepale is only a three-star player, he got the size and frame needed to develop into a solid player in the future. Obviously, he has potential if Michigan and Penn State were in the mix. So it was a good bet from Big Ten country.

Meanwhile, Conley is another addition to an already strong Trojan defensive back class. USC’s staff has made a concerted effort at Texas, and Conley’s commitment is the result. Morales

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