The Battle in LA for 4-Star 2016 DE OluWole Betiku Won by USC

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

The Trojans turned a couple of recruiting corners on Saturday when area 4-star defensive end Oluwole Betiku verbally committed to USC after being a one-time commitment to the UCLA Bruins.

Betiku has the size, speed, and strength to be a next level playmaker listed in the neighborhood of 6’4”, 245 pounds. The Junipero Serra talent started attracting serious recruiting interest as a junior after coming up with 59 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and 24 tackles for a loss. When his senior year rolled around he upped his game tallying 70 stops, 28 tackles for a loss, and 17 sacks.

The Bruins picked up a verbal commitment from Betiku on Aug. 6 but then lost his commitment on Oct. 23 after official visits to Florida State (Oct. 10) and Texas A&M (Oct. 16). Betiku took another trip to College State in November along with an unofficial visit to the Trojans on Nov. 11. A couple of days later the Under Armour All-American Game invitee officially visited Notre Dame.

The Trojans were able to seal the deal during an official visit on Dec. 11, keeping the Gardena area native close to home. Some of the other schools to drop an offer include Florida, Iowa, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma, Washington, Tennessee, Oregon, Penn State, and Washington State.

Wole is considered one of the top weak-side defensive ends in the nation, with some recruiting services tagging him as the best in the country.

USC now has 15 verbal commitments to their 2016 class. Betiku’s commitment is the first for new head coach Clay Helton and the first for USC since Aug. 19. Recruits had backed away from the USC program after former head coach Steve Sarkisian was fired mid-season and due to the uncertainty surrounding the lineup of the new coaching staff.

USC Trojans 2016 Commitment List (15)

SS C.J. Pollard, 6’1”, 180 lbs, Junipero Serra HS, Gardena, California

LB Jordan Iosefa, 6’2”, 216 lbs, St. Louis HS, Honolulu, Hawaii

DE Oluwole Betiku, 6’4”, 245 lbs, Junipero Serra HS, Gardena, CA

DE Liam Jimmons, 6’4”, 240 lbs, Huntington Beach HS, Huntington Beach, California

DE Keanu Saleapaga, 6’5”, 270 lbs, La Mirada HS, La Mirada, California

DT Keyshon Camp, 6’4”, 275 lbs, Lake Gibson, Lakeland, Florida

OT Frank Martin, 6’5”, 300 lbs, Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, California

OT Nathan Smith, 6’7”, 264 lbs, Murrieta Mesa HS, Murrieta, California

TE Cary Angeline, 6’7”, 230 lbs, Dowingtown East HS, Exton, Pennsylvania

QB Matt Fink, 6’3”, 185 lbs, Glendora HS, Glendora, California

WR Josh Imatorbhebhe, 6’2”, 205 lbs, North Gwinnett HS, Suwanee, Georgia

WR Velus Jones Jr., 5’11”, 180 lbs, Saraland HS, Saraland, Alabama

WR Michael Pittman, 6’4”, 205 lbs, Oaks Christian HS, Thousand Oaks, California

WR Trevon Sidney, 5’11”, 160 lbs, Bishop Amat HS, La Puente, California

WR Tyler Vaughns, 6’2”, 175 lbs, Bishop Amat HS, La Puente, California

Photo credit: bleacherreport.com; No. 47 Wole Betiku performs at an exposure camp.