Auburn’s top receiver in 2023 is acquired by USC football via the transfer portal.
After just eight days on the transfer portal, former Auburn wide receiver Jay Fair has joined USC football.
Football at USC is still getting ready for its Big Ten league debut. The Trojans are adding to their skill-position group only days after acquiring Florida State’s Greedy Vance Jr., a top defensive back.
Just two days after his campus visit, former Auburn wide receiver Jay Fair announced his commitment to USC on Sunday, as reported by 247 Sports. With 31 receptions, the product of Rockwall, Texas, led all Tigers wideouts in 2018. Fair was a two-year starter for the club and was second on the team in receptions and yards in 2023, averaging 11 yards per catch. His eligibility will last for an additional two years.
The 5-foot-11, 186-pound target is a part of a strong transfer class for the Trojans, which is ranked 15th in the country by 247 Sports. What role will Fair play on the team going into the upcoming season?
Jay Fair might need to advance through the USC football depth chart.
In 2024, the wide receiver room at USC will be packed. In addition to Tufts’ Jaden Richardson and UCLA’s Kyle Ford, Fair is the third wideout transfer in the program. Furthermore, the Trojans are acquiring four-star prospect Xavier Jordan through 247, who is the 11th-ranked prospect in the state of California.
Additionally, the team boasts a number of receivers back from the previous campaign, including Zachariah Branch, Kyron Hudson, and Deuce Robinson. In 2023, they all recorded 351, 320, and 189 yards, respectively. Fair gave Auburn a 324 last year.
According to Erik McKinney of On3, the former three-star prospect thought that moving to southern California was the correct decision for him.
“It felt like a move to me for a couple reasons: the academics are great, and this university offers degree programs that are once in a lifetime,” said Fair. “Coach [Dennis] Simmons and [Lincoln] Riley have been synchronized offensively for a considerable amount of time in terms of football. With the highest number of receivers drafted from this program, coach Simmons’ growth has the potential to assist me elevate my game. I simply sensed a true sense of family here, and I’m excited to work hard and give this program my all.
Regarding USC’s history of sending wideouts to the NFL, Fair was truthful. Former Trojans that have advanced to the next level at the position in the previous few years alone include Michael Pittman Jr., Jordan Addison, Drake London, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Trojans now have even more justification for the moniker “Wide Receiver University” after St. Brown became the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL on Wednesday.
But before Fair becomes the next USC alum to become a prominent NFL wide receiver, he needs to improve his performance in college. For instance, Brenden Rice was taken in the seventh round of this past draft, despite having 45 receptions for 791 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Trojans the previous year.
That being said, USC won’t be lacking depth at wide receiver in 2024. The Trojans will require as much assistance as possible to be competitive now that they are a part of the Big Ten, an 18-team league. It will take time to see if Fair decides to break away from the group.
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