Christian Pierce, Rancho Cucamonga defensive back, commits to USC over UCLA, Washington

After trimming his list to a top three of UCLA, USC and Washington in mid-April, Rancho Cucamonga defensive back Christian Pierce knew a decision was looming.

He just wasn't sure exactly when he would make up his mind.

Turns out, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound defensive back saw everything he needed to see at the USC spring game on April 23.

So, Pierce committed - then waited until Sunday to make it public.

"I'm headed to USC," he said. "I love the tradition. I love the culture. The coaching staff knows what they are talking about. They'll lead us from here." 

Growing up following USC, Pierce remains in awe of the opportunity he has in front of him.

"It means a ton," he said. "It's mind-blowing. As a little kid, you don't think, 'I'll be able to play in front of 90,000 people.' No one thinks of that." 

Pierce, a three-star prospect, is rated the No. 36 safety in the country.

He knows spots at USC are filling up fast, and he intends to graduate from high school early and enroll at USC to get a head start on possible playing time,

Pierce is the sixth commitment in USC's class, joining Los Alamitos (California) five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson, Bishop Gorman (Nevada) five-star wide receiver Zachariah Branch, Los Alamitos (California) five-star athlete Makai Lemon, Manor (Texas) four-star running back Quinten Joyner and Hirschi (Texas) four-star running back A'Marion Peterson.