USC Trojans neutralize Card Smith, predicted trade to Colorado Buffaloes and Deion Sanders

It’s been an up-and-down week on the recruiting front for the USC Trojans. The Trojans gained five-star quarterback Jusan Longstreet and lost five-star quarterback Julian Lewis.

The Trojans are now reeling from the loss of four-star offensive lineman Card Smith, who announced his departure from USC in favor of On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

This should not come as a surprise to those who have been aware of the program. Smith has flirted with a variety of different programs as of late, including the Colorado Buffaloes. However, that doesn’t discount the fact that losing Smith is a big deal. He is a four-star recruit and, according to On3, the highest-rated available offensive player in the recruiting class.

After Smith’s departure from USC, Colorado became an instant favorite to land the Alabama product. According to On3’s recruiting projection system, the Buffaloes are a 64.6% favorite to land Smith. Likewise, 247Sports’ Tom Loy made a crystal ball prediction with a confidence of 6 for Colorado to land the four-star prospect.

Carroll’s father spoke to On3 about why the elite recruit likes the Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders.

“My kid loves the scenery and everything,” Carroll said. “The attention and success of other (offensive linemen) playing early”

Cooper Petagna of 247Sports wrote that Smith has the potential to become a starter at a major program.

“At 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, he appears to have the growth potential to add an additional 25 pounds to his frame at the collegiate level. Shows good athleticism at the right tackle position, where he demonstrates the ability to consistently win at the point of attack. Shows some explosiveness off the line of scrimmage while displaying some natural power and play strength to consistently draw defenders off the ball. Excellent as a run blocker. at this point in his trajectory… his above-average size and athleticism suggest he could eventually develop into a multi-year starter at the right position for a Power Four program,” Petagna said.

Smith spoke with WeAreSC earlier this year about what was important to his recruitment.

“Keeping in touch with my mom,” Smith said. “My mom plays a big role in commitment: if she’s straight, then I’m straight. If she feels like I could be in that place too, we’ll go there and see what it says.”

With the loss of Smith, USC’s 2025 recruiting class is ranked 13th in the country and third in the Big Ten.