### USC Football Secures Commitment from Four-Star Offensive Lineman Carde Smith
USC football made a significant addition to its offensive lineup on Monday by securing a commitment from Carde Smith, a four-star offensive lineman from Mobile, Alabama, who previously committed to Auburn. Smith is the 16th commitment in the 2025 class and the third offensive line recruit for OL coach Josh Henson, moving the class up to No. 18 nationally.
Smith’s commitment continues the momentum for USC’s recruiting efforts, following last week’s addition of four-star linebacker Jadon Perlotte from Buford, Georgia.
### Recruitment Journey
The Trojans entered Smith’s recruitment late, extending an offer in late May while he was still committed to Auburn. USC has aggressively targeted Auburn commits, including four-star defensive linemen Jourdin Crawford and Malik Autry. Smith’s official visit to USC in June led to his decommitment from Auburn shortly after returning home. While USC and Auburn were the only schools he visited officially, he also considered Florida State and Mississippi State.
Smith held over 20 offers from schools such as Duke, Colorado, Florida, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Miami, South Carolina, and Ole Miss.
### Why USC?
Smith’s official visit in June was pivotal, shifting his preference to USC. During his live commitment announcement, Smith expressed his affinity for USC:
“When I went up there for the official visit, I fell in love with the place. It’s not really about money. Before I did the NIL talk, I didn’t want to leave. I was already telling my mom I didn’t want to leave; this felt like home to me,” Smith shared. “Sitting down with Coach Henson and Coach Lincoln Riley, they showed me what I need to work on. I feel like Coach Riley is the best head coach in the game. Being in Cali itself is amazing. They treat me like family, the players, the coaches, the recruits. It just felt like home to me.”
### Fit with USC
Smith is a significant acquisition for USC’s offensive line class. At 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, he currently plays right tackle in high school but could potentially transition to a guard position, given his size and Henson’s approach to cross-training linemen. Smith joins three-star California prospect Elijah Vaikona and three-star Washington prospect Willie Wascher, who projects as a center.
Smith is the second consensus four-star offensive tackle Henson has signed at USC, joining Elijah Paige, USC’s starting left tackle. With offensive tackle depth a crucial need, Smith’s commitment is a valuable addition to the team.
