Bolden commits to USC

SAN ANTONIO – The USC Trojans have a long history with the U.S. Army All-American Bowl that grew Saturday when Rivals100 safety Bubba Bolden announced his intentions to join the Trojans during the game.

The four-star prospect out of Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman High School had committed to USC during his junior year, but re-opened his recruitment prior to his senior season. After visiting Arizona State, Colorado and UCLA, he narrowed his focus down to USC and Ohio State. An official visit to Ohio State was taken in November, but he scheduled an official visit to USC for Jan. 13 before leaving for San Antonio.

Bolden came out of the West team locker room after Thursday’s practice yelling “Ohio State,” at the top of his lungs, in an apparent effort to throw folks off the scent of his eventual choice. The ruse did not fool many, though, as USC was the expected choice heading into Saturday’s announcement.

The No. 6 safety in the 2017 class, Bolden has three teammates committed to Ohio State, including Army All-American West team quarterback Tate Martell. But the initial appeal of USC and the opportunity to stay in a warm weather climate won out in the end.