The USC Trojans are in pursuit of flipping two class of 2025 recruits, Nela Tupou and Alex Payne. Can the Trojans flip one or both of these players before national signing day?

Nela Tupou Player Profile

Nela Tupou is a 6-4, 220 pound tight end/defensive end out of Folsom, California. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the 43rd-best ATH in the class of 2025 per 247Sports. 

Tupou committed to the Utah Utes in February of 2024, but he just recently visited USC last weekend for the Trojans’ 28-20 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers. 

On3 is now predicting that Tupou will likely flip this commitment from Utah to USC.

Alex Payne Player Profile

Alex Payne is a 6-5, 265 pound offensive tackle out of Gainesville, Florida. He is rated as four-star recruit and ranked as the 16th-best offensive tackle in the class of 2025. 

Payne committed to the North Carolina Tar Heels in January of 2024, but he as well as Tupou, visited USC last weekend. 

In 247Sports recruiting analyst Tom Loy’s updated crystal ball prediction, he had Payne flipping his commitment from North Carolina to USC. Loy has a good track record of predicting where recruits will end up as his all-time hit rate for predicting recruits’ final destinations is 81.64 percent. 

USC Bolstering Up Offensive Line to Go Along With Weapons

One of the glaring holes for the USC Trojans this season has been the offensive line. For USC to bounce back next season, they will have to get much better in the trenches. This has been exposed in their first season in the Big Ten. Landing Tupou, who can both be a factor in the run blocking scheme as a blocker, and Payne, one of the top tackle prospects in the country, would go a long way for next season and the future of the program.

Barring a flurry of transfer portal decisions, the Trojans will have an abundance of skill position talent coming back next season. 

Freshman running back Quinten Joyner has been the second best back this season behind senior running back Woody marks.

Four of the Trojans five leading receivers are sophomores. Makai Lemon, Zachariah Branch, Ja’Kobi Lane, and Duce Robinson all have shown flashes of potentially being a number one wide receiver next season. 

Add in the Trojans starting sophomore quarterback Jayden Maiava and they have one of the youngest teams in the Big Ten. If USC continues to address the offensive line in the last days of the 2025 recruiting cycle and in the transfer portal this offseason, the Trojans could be a dangerous team next season. 

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Some school systems in Western North Carolina are closed Friday, Nov. 21, due to winter weather.

• Avery County Schools: Closed, remote learning day.
• Graham County Schools: Closed, workday for staff.
• Madison County Schools: Closed, optional teacher workday.
• Mitchell County Schools: Closed, remote learning day.
• Watauga County Schools: Two-hour delay.
• Yancey County Schools: Closed, remote learning day.

This story will be updated

NORTH CAROLINA (WBTV) – North Carolina has some of the highest STD rates nationwide, according to a new study by the U.S. News & World Report.

The report analyzed the highest combined rates of three major sexually transmitted infections: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis.

As far as the 10 states with the highest STD rates, N.C. ranked No. 7.

The data

According to the report, the state’s total STD rate is 911.5 per 100,000. That has actually decreased by -0.3% since 2022.

Rates for the three major STDs are:

• Chlamydia: 607.9 per 100,000
• Gonorrhea: 243.2 per 100,000
• Syphilis (cumulative): 60.4 per 100,000

South Carolina

South Carolina also has some of the highest STD rates in America, according to the report.

Ranked at No. 8 for the 10 states with the highest STD rates, the state’s total STD rate is 882.8 per 100,000. That has decreased by 10.9% since 2022.

Rates for the three major STDs are:

• Chlamydia: 612.1 per 100,000
• Gonorrhea: 222.4 per 100,000
• Syphilis (cumulative): 48.3 per 100,000

WBTV Investigates: Syphilis Tsunami: NC health officials plan campaign to slow the spread

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