ESPN 300 offensive tackle Nico Falah (Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco) remained committed to USC following his official visit to Washington this weekend, but the four-star prospect returned home from the Pacific Northwest with a new realization.
“Seattle did change something for me. If I don’t go to USC, I’m going to Washington for sure,” Falah said. “I like Washington a lot. I’m still committed to USC, but if anything happens, I’m going to Washington. That’s my second choice right now.”
While USC held its first big recruiting weekend of the year, Falah and fellow Trojans pledge Jalen Ramsey (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood Academy) were in Seattle on official visits. Both are scheduled to officially visit USC on Jan. 18.
“I was all for these visits,” said Falah, who took a trip to Oregon the weekend of Nov. 17. “I wanted to see what else is out there. I didn’t want to just see UCLA and USC. I wanted to go out of the state and see what else is out there and what other schools have to offer me. One thing I’ve realized is that California isn’t the only place. There’s other towns. Los Angeles isn’t the only big city. Seattle is big, too.”
The 6-foot-4, 267-pound Falah was hosted by Huskies quarterback Keith Price, an alum of St. John Bosco High School. Falah said the recruits enjoyed touring the campus and visiting Husky Stadium, which is still under renovation.
“My favorite part was probably hanging around the staff and the players,” Falah said. “They’re all good guys. Being around Keith and all the people at Washington, I had a great time.”
If the next two months brought changes to USC’s recruiting class, Falah said he would have no problem with the distance from home.
“I think they said they have 66 players from California,” said Falah, who in July committed to the Trojans over the rival UCLA Bruins. “I talked to all the Cali kids and they said it’s just like home, except the weather, but it’s all good. It was a great visit, honestly. I was a little hesitant at first about when I wanted to get up there, but I’d say it was worth it. I had a great time up there. I really like Washington.”