Michigan State suffered a key early loss on the college football recruiting trail. Defensive back Khalil Terry opted to reopen his recruiting process on June 15.
Now he's teasing the possibility of joining a Big Ten rival of the Spartans -- while becoming the possible first 2027 commit for this powerhouse.
Terry got captured by Rivals' Adam Gorney decked out in USC gear Saturday. Gorney shared a photo of Terry in the attire at the Thomas Graham 7-on-7 held at Rancho Cucamonga High.
Terry is wearing USC sleeves, gloves and has a USC towel behind him. The Tustin High star already holds 32 different scholarship offers. The Trojans are among the schools making a run at him. There are already fans hoping he'd commit to USC after the photo got leaked out.
Tanner Miller (No. 61) and Luke Newman (No. 70) block for Michigan State during a game against Prairie View A&M
© Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The 6-foot, 185-pound Terry already brings intriguing size for the safety position. Greg Biggins of 247Sports is one who likes his game already.
"Terry is hybrid safety who can cover and plays a physical game. He’s a smart, instinctive defensive back and is always around the ball. He’s a high football IQ player and looks to be 2-3 steps ahead of everyone else on the field," Biggins wrote in his evaluation of Terry.
The national recruiting analyst adds that Terry got timed at 20.3 mph on the Catapult GPS during one game. He's fresh off delivering 52 total tackles, five behind the line of scrimmage, six pass breakups and four interceptions.
USC still faces competition to land the Orange County talent Terry. Alabama is on his list of early offers. Defending national champion Ohio State also offered. Even Bill Belichick and North Carolina is making a run at Terry through their scholarship offer. Terry is already the state of California's 19th-ranked talent by 247Sports.
The Trojans have rolled through the 2026 recruiting class in impressive fashion. USC just landed four-star defensive end Luke Wafle on Friday after spurning Ohio State and Penn State. USC sits at 30 total verbal commits for the 2026 class. But Terry can help set off the '27 group if the Trojans manage to win him over early.
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