5-Star CB Domani Jackson Commits to USC over Michigan, Ohio State, More

Highly touted cornerback Domani Jackson committed to USC on Saturday. 

Jackson announced his decision in a video posted on Twitter:

Jackson is the best cornerback and third-best player overall in the 2022 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Not surprisingly, the Santa Ana, California, native had scholarship offers from nearly all of the notable college football powers. Midway through his freshman season, he already had 20 offers in the bag.

He worked quickly to narrow his options to 10 schools in July.

That June, Jackson was among the players taking part in the Top 100 SoCal Showcase. 247Sports' Greg Biggins provided a rave review while listing him among the five best defensive players on the field:

"Jackson is an athletic freak and he could attend an NFL Combine right now and his testing numbers would be on par with some of the top testing corners at the event. He's 6-1, 190 pounds with 4% body fat and is one of the fastest players in the country. He didn't win every one on one rep and still needs to improve as a pure cover corner but his upside is off the charts."

Jackson was clocked at 4.51 seconds in the 40-yard dash at a regional event for The Opening in February 2019, per 247Sports, though that number doesn't necessarily demonstrate the extent of his physical gifts.

Beyond pure straight-line speed, the Mater Dei star has impressive agility and the ability to quickly change directions to shadow receivers in man coverage.

Jackson will be giving up some inches to taller receivers, but he won't get pushed around too much. He should have plenty of success jamming wideouts at the line of scrimmage and fighting for position when the ball is airborne.

Blue-chip cornerbacks have always remained a prized commodity, and they've never been more valuable as college coaches embrace spread offenses and run-pass options. Even Nick Saban got more creative after ditching the power running game that served Alabama so well.

Once he gets a year or two under his belt, Jackson has the potential to be one of the FBS' biggest difference-makers on defense.

Trojans head coach Clay Helton and his staff continue to excel in recruiting. Jackson is the program's fourth commitment in the 2022 class. They have the eighth-ranked class this year, per 247Sports composite rankings. 

Last season was a breakthrough for the Trojans under Helton. They won the Pac-12 South Division with five consecutive wins in the regular season, but their quest for a conference title came to an end with a 31-24 loss to Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game. 

If the Trojans can build on that success going forward, they will be able to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff soon. Adding premier talent like Jackson to the roster will make their quest a little less daunting.