IMG Academy football star Keenyi Pepe has recently received much fanfare for his incredible offensive tackle skills. Boasting a 98 player rating on 247sport. Standing at 6’7, and weighing about 320 pounds, Pepe is a formidable ally. With him being projected to graduate in 2026, many teams have taken notice. He’s undoubtedly set for a successful career, and many want to reap part of that success.
Pepe has been scouted by an astounding 30 teams across the United States. Everyone from the Florida Gators to the Texas Longhorns was after his commitment, so the competition was tense. His talent and potential are, simply put, undeniable.
However, in the end, Zack Hanson of the University of Southern California Trojans of Los Angeles, California, eventually secured his position following a visit to the Los Angeles campus.
This eventual commitment to the USC Trojans can be attributed to several things, many quite personal.
As things are, Pepe has recently gone on record stating that there is no chance of him potentially changing his mind on this choice. Even went on to say that he will be shutting down any further commitment offers. As a commitment doesn’t necessarily lock in the player entirely, other teams may continue to send offers, and the prospective star is welcome to change their mind, but not this time. This is a surprising move on his part, and also a show of his undeniable dedication to the USC Trojans.
“I feel like being committed and taking other visits is like going on other dates when you’re married. I’m staying committed and staying with one school. I’m not bouncing around with schools.” – Keenyi Pepe told Rivals recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr.
When asked why UMG was his final answer, Pepe responded, “It’s just closer to home. “I know I said a lot of other times that location didn’t matter, but when I went to USC, my whole family came out. It was my mom’s first time going on a visit with me. It felt different.” So it would seem his heart is truly set on the matter.
Keenyi Pepe is an undeniably sought-after star of an offensive tackle, and many have been awaiting his decision with bated breath.
Though this is undeniably great news for USC and the Trojans, it marks quite the disappointment for many of the competing teams. Comparatively, Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier still has yet to secure his first offensive lineman pledge from the 2026 class. He had expressed previous interest in Pepe and extended an offer.
Meanwhile, the Ohio State Buckeyes, who have previously had good luck recruiting from the state of Florida, had extended their own offer nearly a year prior to this news of his absolute commitment. This continues off an unfortunate pattern of bad luck the Buckeyes have been facing recently. As last year, they had also failed to score a promising young offensive college tackle with David Sanders Jr., who ultimately committed to the Tennessee Volunteers.
It’s also not the only lucky snag the Trojans have managed recently either. They’ve also landed commitment from five-star high school forward, Alijah Arenas.
All in all, Pepe’s decision marks a major win for the USC Trojans and what appears to be a largely personal win as well. Pepe is very clearly happy with this opportunity if he sees no possible option in the future that could be more in his best interest.
Personally, I’m wishing him all the best going forward with this new beginning!
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