USC football adds new transfer to address a concern no one is talking about

Memphis transfer Tahj Washington is joining USC football.
Memphis transfer Tahj Washington is joining USC football. / Michael Hickey/Getty Images

USC football added a commitment from wide receiver Tahj Washington, a transfer from Memphis, to fortify the talented but worryingly-thin pass-catching corps.

It may seem weird to call USC football's receiving corps a worry, but there it kind of is. So it's a good thing the Trojans have addressed the issue again in the transfer portal.

On Tuesday night, former Memphis receiver Tahj Washington committed to the Trojans on Twitter.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound pass catcher kept it simple with two emojis and a graphic to make his announcement.

So who is Tahj Washington?

He wouldn't have caught the eye as a recruit coming out of Texas in the class of 2019. He ranked No. 1,854 nationally as a three-star prospect. He's also a great example of how recruiting rankings can overlook serious playmakers.

Washington signed with Memphis and redshirted in 2019 before breaking out in 2020. He started all but the first game of the season and finished second on the team with 743 yards on 43 catches. That was good enough for fourth in the American Athletic Conference. He also had six touchdowns.

Here's the kind of catch Washington can make:

The Football Writers Association of America named him a first-team Freshman All-American after his standout campaign.

The fact that Washington is due to enter his redshirt sophomore season is a huge plus. Colorado transfer K.D. Nixon is set up to have a big impact on USC's 2021 season, but Washington will be around down the line as well.

Adding another receiver addresses a concern that hasn't been a focus of the offseason so far: USC's wide receiver depth.

The Trojans have all the talent they could want. Drake London and Bru McCoy have the ability to be superstars at the position and should be able to make up for Tyler Vaughns' NFL exit. Nixon is the veteran presence USC needed in the slot to help cope with the loss of Amon-Ra St. Brown.

However, there are major uncertainties for an Air Raid attack. McCoy will be slowed in Spring Camp coming off a hamstring injury, which is a reminder of how the possibility of injury always looms. That's especially true for someone like Kyle Ford. He's a massive talent, but he's had multiple knee injuries. USC can't necessarily rely on him being available.

Others will want to vie for playing time this year. John Jackson III, Gary Bryant Jr., Josh Jackson, and incoming freshmen Michael Jackson, Joseph Manjack, and Kyron Ware-Hudson will all be competing for touches this offseason.

That's still at most 10 scholarship receivers for a pass-heavy offense. It's just not an ideal number. Injuries or misfortune could decimate the unit easily.

This isn't to signal that the sky is falling. It's not. But adding yet another receiver with real college football experience and production will give the Trojans that much more breathing room.

Next. Ranking USC's Best Wide Receivers Of All-Time. dark