Christian Thatcher, bluechip linebacker, expects massive turnaround of USC's defense

Arbor View (Nevada) star Christian Thatcher is one of the most coveted linebackers in the West region in the class of 2025.

And for good reason.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Will linebacker, rated a four-star prospect, has been tackle machine at the high school level.

Thatcher has played three years of varsity football and amassed 327 tackles, 27 tackles-for-loss, 9 sacks and two interceptions.

During that time, he has also accumulated 30 scholarship offers, highlighted by Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, Utah, Washington and others.

This weekend, Thatcher made his third trip to USC, a key visit given the coaching turnover on the Trojans' staff.

That visit answered a lot of key questions for the coveted linebacker. 

"“I feel like they are going to completely turn around the defense," Thatcher said. "They are recruiting a lot of defensive guys and the staff knows what they are doing. After getting a day to talk to them, I have a lot of faith that they are going to turn things around in the Big Ten.”

Combine his belief in the defense with what USC stands for in the world of college football, and the Trojans may be tough to beat.

“I think the tradition at USC… there’s nothing quite like it," Thatcher said. "It’s California. It doesn’t get much better than that. I think they have one of the best defensive staffs in the country. They are overqualified for where they are. They’ve made me a priority and that makes them stand out.”

Thatcher had a good relationship already with new defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn from his time at UCLA, and is building a strong connection to linebacker coach Matt Entz. 

"(Entz) let me know that I’m one of their guys," he said. "We have a good connection with Coach Lynn already.”

All of that is a recipe for USC to eventually land the Nevada star.

But there's going to be plenty of competition, including Washington, who Thatcher intends to visit in early February. 

While some might speculate the Huskies are going to have to come from behind given their coaching staff turnover, Thatcher is (again) familiar with the coaching staff from its previous stop at Arizona.

“We were really connected to the Arizona staff… pretty much all of them," he said. "We already have a good bond. With them offering me, I want to go up there and get a feel for Seattle and see what Washington has to offer."

Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon and others are also contenders worth keeping an eye on.

As for a decision date, Thatcher said he expects a commitment to come before his senior season - and his march toward 400 career tackles. 

“I think I’m starting to narrow it down a little bit," he said. "I want to make a decision before my senior season. I want to be able to focus on my senior season and know where I'm going to college."  

Clearly, USC is going to be a serious contender in that race.

Junior season highlights