COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — A lot of high-profile football recruits prefer the big national stage to announce their commitments. For Brighton's Osa Masina, doing as much during a school assembly seemed appropriate.

Masina, who is arguably the highest profile football recruit ever from the state of Utah, had ample opportunity to announce his commitment on national television last week at the Army All-American Bowl but opted to commit in front of the people who mattered most to him.

"I had a choice to [do it] at the Army All-American game, but these are the people who were there with me for the whole ride," Masina said. "I'd rather do it with them."

Masina had narrowed his many options to just USC, UCLA and Arizona State, and had all the hats on the table before donning the USC floppy hat.

"When it came down to it, USC was just the best choice for me," Masina said.

A big reason Masina, who is a consensus five-star prospect, opted for the Trojans was due to USC coach Steve Sarkisian.

"[He's] an awesome dude," Masina said of his future head coach. "I've been in contact with him since my sophomore year, when he was at Washington. We've got a really close relationship."

Masina played at both linebacker and running back during his career at Brighton and could very well do the same for the Trojans.

"They want me to go both ways," Masina said.

Masina's brother, Uaea Masina, currently plays linebacker for Utah, which made the Utes an attractive option throughout, but in the end Osa decided going out of state was his best option.

"There was definitely temptation, especially with me being a Utah man," Masina said. "But when it came down to it, USC was the best choice for me."

View Comments

Osa Masina announcement story for Saturday's paper (Jan. 24)

Brighton's Osa Masina announced his commitment at a school assembly on Friday.

Email: bgurney@desnews.com

Twitter: @BrandonCGurney

Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.