Over the weekend, USC landed a commitment from four-star defensive lineman Alifeleti Tuihalamaka. Tuihlamaka is the Trojans’ latest commit in what is quickly turning into one of the top 2027 recruiting classes in the country.
So what can USC fans expect from Tuihalamaka? In a recent interview with 247Sports, Greg Townsend Jr., who played defensive end at USC from 2011-2015 and is a former high school coach of Tuihalamaka’s, discussed his development and what the Trojans are getting in the defensive lineman.
“I think Tolo’s [Alifeleti] highest potential is off the edge,” said Townsend. “I think people see he can play the three-technique because, at times, we needed him to play three-technique.
“I think his strength is setting the edge and getting a bead on his blocker with moves and counter moves. He does a good job seeing what will work later on in the game. One of the things my dad used to tell me is that you have to pass rush like a pitcher.
“You have to hit them with the fastball, the fastball, and then that curve ball later on. You set that up later on down the line. Say you get one sack a game off of that curve ball. That’s 10, 11, 12 sacks a season. Those are All-American stats. So I taught him to be patient and find those spots to use that curve ball.”
247Sports Composite ranks Tuihalamaka as the No. 181 overall player and the No. 21 defensive lineman in the class of 2027. Under Chad Bowden and Lincoln Riley, USC has continued to lock up some of the top talent in the country, and this case appears to be no exception.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: High school coach of Alifeleti Tuihalamaka discusses latest USC commit
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
