USC football: 3 freshmen who’ll have the biggest impacts in 2023

LB Tackett Curtis

Four-star linebacker Tackett Curtis was one of my personal favorites in the 2023 recruiting class. Landing him out of Louisiana with just about every SEC and ACC team of note in the mix was a tremendous recruiting win for Riley.

It truly was impressive. There’s a reason the 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker was offered by the likes of Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, Clemson, Notre Dame, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Tennessee, and many others.

Curtis also enrolled early and turned some heads, giving him a possible leg up. Here’s what 247 Sports said about his performance this spring after enrolling early for USC football this spring:

"“Tackett Curtis made a strong first impression while he got his first dose of college football. The four-star from Many (La.) looked college-ready when he walked onto the field. Both his talent and attitude backed up that impression.”"

Curtis was one of the best linebackers in the 2023 class and that’s a position where guys tend to get on the field relatively early.

There’s plenty of competition ahead of him, even from some other freshmen, but I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Curtis made an early impact for a USC defense that needs to be better this season.