Prospects in the News
-Ryan Pellum, WR, Long Beach, CA (Millikan HS), #69 nationally, #14 WR, and #7 in Calif.
The nearly two-week wait for Ryan Pellum ended Monday when he committed to the USC Trojans. The four-star wideout is a California native and the 69th-best player in the 2024 class. USC beat out conference rivals Arizona and Arizona State, along with SEC powerhouse Alabama, making him a highly-touted recruiting win.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Pellum officially visited Southern California on June 16 before deciding to play for Lincoln Riley. The announcement, however, was not a traditional commitment college football fans have come to know in the era of social media and NIL. It was one that would make any parent smile.
Pellum isn’t just a soon-to-be college football player, unlike most young adults. He’s also a dad.
No, that is not a typo.
Pellum had the help of his newborn son, Kaceyn, to pick the Trojans over Oregon and 40 other programs, as he sported a USC “Fight On” shirt upon Pellum thanking his family and friends at his commitment press conference.
KABOOOOM!
It’s #USC over #Oregon for 4-star 2024 Millikan (Calif.) wide receiver Ryan Pellum: pic.twitter.com/tuSXpwKKPL
— Chris Treviño (@ChrisNTrevino) June 26, 2023
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Nonetheless, Pellum is a game-changing player for a USC team who rode the wave to a conference title game appearance a season ago. He was all-in on the program from the minute he met Riley and the coaching staff, he said.
Pellum has quickly made a name for himself over the course of his first three seasons at Millikan. He already has eclipsed over 1,000 receiving yards while bringing in 20 touchdowns during his varsity career. This made him a key target for schools, given that his Rams team finished 5-7 in 2022. Pellum further solidified his place as a future collegiate star and sets himself up for a critical senior season.
If Pellum stays on his trajectory, his stock will only rise up upon his arrival at his would-be new Big Ten school.
100% Committed! #FightOn ✌?@MillikanHSFB @uscfb @RomeoPellum @LincolnRiley @CoachLukeHuard @CoachSimmonsSC pic.twitter.com/k5RdDW4s09
— Ryan Pellum (@ryan_pellum) June 27, 2023
Koy Beasley, S, Cincinnati, Ohio (LaSalle HS), #124 nationally, #9 S, and #5 in Ohio.
Four-star Koy Beasley became the 16th commitment in Purdue’s 2024 class Wednesday, as the 5-foot-11, 180-pound safety visited the Boilermakers on June 23 and picked the Big Ten title runner-ups over Wisconsin and Pittsburgh.
The Cincinnati native has quickly taken off on the recruiting trail, becoming one of the state’s best players while earning accolades as the No. 9 safety in the class.
Though he plays at LaSalle where the team has struggled in recent seasons, going just 2-9 in 2022, Beasley will have a fresh start to showcase his on-field specialties. Beasley is primarily a cover corner.
Beasley is also a track athlete. According to Milesplit, he has participated since the 2021 outdoor season and continues to improve his overall speed each year.
Beasley’s most significant selling point on coming to Purdue was playing for ex-Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters, who helped lead the Illini as a top-tier defensive unit in 2022. Beasley told On3 he likes the direction the program is headed; it was a natural fit for his style of play. The pair had built a relationship throughout months of Beasley’s recruiting process.
With the commitment of Beasley, Purdue remains in the top 20 in the 2024 recruiting rankings as it looks to compete for more Big Ten West titles in the coming years.
https://www.instagram.com/p/p:CuDWiqDuOAc
-Marquis Gallegos, S, Chatsworth, Calif. (Sierra Canyon HS), #251 nationally, #22 S, and #23 in CA.
Joining Pellum in Southern California is four-star Marquis Gallegos. At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Gallegos decided to stay home and play for the Trojans after receiving interest from 19 different programs. Gallegos’s visit to USC on June 16 added to his top choices, as he eventually beat out Oregon, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame Tuesday.
Gallegos is one of the most highly-touted safeties in the 2024 class and ranks in the top 20 in his position group and in California. Gallegos will play for Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth this upcoming season, which is predominantly known for high-level basketball with several Power Five commitments in the last few years. He transferred in from Chaminade after his junior season concluded.
On the football side, however, Gallegos was always drawn to staying close to home and playing for USC. According to On3, what made the Trojans the best fit was Gallegos’s opportunity to play for Riley and carry on the USC tradition of excellence.
Gallegos also wanted to make sure his family and friends could seamlessly attend his games and also said USC’s transition into the Big Ten was a huge point of contention in making his final decision.
Throughout his high school career, Gallegos has improved in almost every aspect, but his most incredible strength is his ability to get to the ball. Defensively, Gallegos snagged 14 interceptions and posted 132 tackles in his three seasons on varsity. He also helped guide the Eagles to a 10-3 season in 2022 before losing in the third round of the playoffs to Inglewood in an overtime thriller, 41-38.
https://www.instagram.com/p/p:CuAvwWRM1v0
-Caleb Pyfrom, OT, Omaha, Neb. (Central HS), #678 nationally, #48 OT, and #5 in NE
A future Big Ten rival of Beasley, high three-star offensive tackle Caleb Pyfrom committed to Illinois Thursday, making him the team’s 15th 2024 pledge. Pyfrom had interest from several Big Ten schools, including his home state Nebraska, along with Iowa and Minnesota.
Pyfrom is Nebraska’s fifth-best player and anchors the Central High School offensive line at 6-foot-5, 300 pounds. Pyfrom took his official visit to Champaign on June 23 to close out his unofficial Big Ten tour that included the Gophers and Cornhuskers in recent weeks.
For Illinois, Pyfrom is another piece of the puzzle to get back to finding consistency within the Big Ten. Pyfrom became the 12th June commitment for Bret Bielema and was a player Illinois had continued to seek out over the last few months.
His addition will give the Illini stability upfront, as the offensive line sits at No. 4 in the Big Ten entering 2023. He also helps the Illini maintain the No. 10 spot in the Big Ten’s 2024 recruiting class.
https://www.instagram.com/p/p:CuFB3WkL77X
Nonetheless, the Big Ten and Pac-12 continue to remain hotbeds for future college football starts to make their name. But that will all change in 2024 with USC and UCLA’s additions to the Big Ten.
