USC football recruiting: Trojans add 4-star WR Corey Simms to 2025 class

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 9: Head coach Lincoln Riley of the USC Trojans congratulates his players after a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 9, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
By Antonio Morales
Jun 30, 2024

USC received a commitment from four-star wide receiver Corey Simms on Sunday afternoon. It was a much-needed recruiting victory for the Trojans, who have suffered a string of setbacks on the trail recently.

Simms, who plays at Christian Brothers College in St. Louis, is ranked No. 261 overall and the No. 33 wide receiver in the Class of 2025 in the 247Sports Composite. He chose USC over Penn State and Missouri.

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The Trojans brought in a talented receiver group during the 2023 cycle — including three prospects ranked in the top 100 nationally — but signed just one four-star receiver in the 2024 class. Simms is the second receiver in USC’s 2025 class, joining three-star prospect Romero Ison from Baltimore.

While Simms’ commitment is a positive development, the Trojans lost a recruiting battle earlier in the day for top-100 linebacker Noah Mikhail, a Southern California product who committed to Texas A&M. That only intensified the scrutiny on USC’s local recruiting efforts, which have been criticized as of late.

The Trojans hold commitments from only two of California’s 34 blue-chip prospects in the 2025 cycle. Overall, five of USC’s 12 commitments are blue-chippers.

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(Photo of Lincoln Riley: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)

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Antonio Morales

Antonio Morales covers USC football for The Athletic. Previously, he spent three years at the Clarion Ledger in Mississippi, where he covered Ole Miss for two seasons and Jackson State for another. He also spent two years covering preps for the Orange County Register and Torrance Daily Breeze. Follow Antonio on Twitter @AntonioCMorales