USC defensive lineman Khaliel Rodgers during practice at the LA Coliseum. (Alicia de Artola/Reign of Troy)

How Will USC Football Replace 11 Lost Starters In 2017? by Alicia de Artola

The 2017 USC recruiting class got its 18th member on Monday night with the commitment of three-star offensive guard Jalen McKenzie of Concord, Calif.. He’s the son of Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie.

Jalen McKenzie, a 6-foot-5, 307-pound guard from Clayton Valley High School in Concord is the latest Trojan commitment, as the USC recruiting class bulks up before Signing Day on February 1st.

He announced the commitment on Twitter:

To date, the state’s 46th-ranked recruit has 10 offers per 247Sports, including from national brand Miami, as well as in-conference foes UCLA, Arizona State and Utah.

For months, Tennessee looked to be the big school after McKenzie, given his status as a legacy. His brother Kahlil McKenzie is currently at Tennessee as a defensive lineman, while his father, Oakland Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie, played for the Vols in the 1980s.

But after being offered by Clay Helton’s staff on January 6th and unofficially visiting over the January 13th weekend, it was the Trojans who got their man.

With McKenzie in tow, the Trojans have 18 commitments pledged to the 2017 class. They have the ability to take as many as 23, due to last year’s advanced scholarships of Stevie Tu’ikolovatu and Michael Brown, both of whom count towards this class.

READ MORE: Tracking USC Football’s Commitments

McKenze is just the fourth offensive lineman, joining four-star commits Alijah Vera-Tucker at offensive tackle and center Brett Neilon. Three-star tackle Andrew Vorhees has already enrolled at USC for the spring semester and will be available in March for spring camp.