Alex Payne, a 2025 offensive lineman from the North Carolina Tar Heels, has formally switched his commitment to the USC Trojans. Payne is a Georgia native and a four-star recruit.
Alex Payne, an offensive lineman in the class of 2025, has switched his commitment to the USC Trojans. According to Tom Loy of 247sports, Payne declared on Friday that he would be reversing his pledge to USC, which he has held since January 2024.
In January 2024, Payne made a commitment to the Tar Heels, but there has been growing pressure for him to change his mind. That school turned out to be USC.
For coach Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans, this is a huge win. Given that they are currently in the Big Ten, the Trojans have required more offensive line depth.
Payne offers the Trojans significant potential for the upcoming year. Alex Payne’s commitment flip was sorely needed for the USC Trojans. According to 247Sports, Payne is a four-star recruit and the 14th-best offensive tackle in his class of 2025.
Is this the beginning of USC’s transformation from a bad offensive line to a strong one?
Alex Payne discussed his decision to switch his recruitment from North Carolina to USC in an interview with 247Sports. Both on and off the pitch, there were other contributing variables.
“A USC degree’s educational component,” Payne stated. “The legacy of USC football speaks for itself.”
One of the greatest collegiate football brands, the USC Trojans, has been striving to return to the top. Conversely, North Carolina is renowned for its basketball program and has never been recognised as a football school.
Payne attended the Trojans’ 28–20 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers last weekend while on a campus visit to USC.
By USC’s standards, the 2024 season has been a dismal one. The Trojans are 5-5 overall. As of Saturday’s Rose Bowl matchup with UCLA, USC has not yet guaranteed a spot in the bowl game.
The floor should be six wins given the calibre of players on the team and the salary coach Riley is receiving. In 2025, there will need to be a significant improvement.
