Duce Robinson, the Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle product and the No. 1 tight end in the 2023 class, announced his college commitment on Thursday, selecting the USC Trojans and ending a monthslong recruitment that went back and forth between the West Coast school and Georgia for the No. 1 tight end in the class.

The Bulldogs fought to bring the 5-star tight end to SEC country, but he ultimately chose to stay home. Georgia was looking for its 5th 5-star commitment in the 2023 class.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Duce Robinson (@duceyf)

The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Robinson is ranked as the No. 17 overall recruit in the 2023 class by the industry-generated 247 Composite.

Robinson let the traditional signing day windows pass as he attempted to reach a decision. Complicating the process were Robinson’s very real prospects of playing professional baseball. He’s also hoping to be selected early in the MLB Draft this summer. Georgia had long been after Robinson’s signature and was content to let him work through his own process.

In 14 games as a senior last fall, Robinson hauled in 84 receptions for 1,614 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was often the target of double teams and still helped Pinnacle to the 6A state championship game.

He’s the kind of prospect who can walk into just about any room in the country and immediately contend for snaps. At Georgia, though, he would have been behind the best tight end in the country, a fact that certainly lessens the sting of Thursday’s defeat on the trail.

To that end, the Bulldogs have also already added 4-star tight end Pearce Spurlin to the fold. The Santa Rosa Beach (Fla.) product is a top-100 recruit in the class. Lawson Luckie, a 4-star tight end from Norcross, has also already enrolled.