John Plattenburg
- Defensive back
- Houston, Tex. (Lamar)
- Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 179
Lamar HS (Houston) cornerback John Plattenburg Jr. was once going to be despised by USC Trojan fans. He will now instead feel the Trojan love as the former UCLA Bruins commit signed with USC on Wednesday, according to Lindsey Thiry.
The 5'10", 179-pound defensive back spent his sophomore and junior seasons at Centennial HS in Corona, Calif. before transferring back to Lamar HS for his senior year. But he will return to Southern California next season when he joins USC.
John Plattenburg Jr. originally committed to UCLA in November, but he changed his mind in January and flipped his allegiance in the crosstown rivalry.
"When Coach [Steve Sarkisian] and Coach [Keith] Heyward ended up taking over from Washington, I just knew in my heart that USC would be the best for for me," Plattenburg Jr. told USCfootball.com shortly after committing. "I've always grown up a USC fan, and my mom went there so my family is all USC."
He is a physical defender that isn't afraid to lay the wood or play press coverage. He played both corner and safety, so it will be interesting to see where the Trojans think the best fit for him is. USC has had more struggles at cornerback, but some think Plattenburg Jr. might be better suited on the backend.
He has shown an ability to recognize routes early and make big plays, but he raises out of his stance too early in his backpedal causing him to struggle to flip his hips consistently when covering outside.
Welcome to the #TrojanFamily @ThePlattenburg! #FightOn #SCigningDay2014 http://t.co/70PMYz2yZ7
— Steve Sarkisian (@CoachSark) February 5, 2014
Depending on which recruiting service you prefer, John Plattenburg Jr. is either a three- or a four-star recruit. Scout and 247sports both rank him as a four-star cornerback. ESPN has him as a three-star safety while Rivals rates him a three-star corner. According to 247sports' composite rankings, Plattenburg Jr. is No. 372 in the nation overall and the No. 26 cornerback.
Plattenburg Jr. was high school teammates with fellow USC signee offensive lineman Viane Talamaivao and former USC commit Austin Malaota at Centennial. He also took official visits to Oklahoma, Oregon and Wisconsin.
One thing Plattenburg Jr. knows is that he'll be getting a great education at USC.
I'm not only signing tomorrow to play football a a Great school, I'm signing to get that Degree.. Something nobody can take away from me
— John Plattenburg Jr. (@ThePlattenburg) February 5, 2014
You can check out John Plattenburg Jr.'s 2013 highlights in Houston or you can watch his 2012 highlights at Centennial HS below:
For more information on high school recruits potentially choosing USC, follow our National Signing Day coverage.