One of the top California prospects in the 2023 class has trimmed his list of suitors down to five finalists.

All five are from the Pac-12.

USC joins Oregon, UCLA, California, and Washington as the final five for Pacifica (Calif.) corner Maliki Crawford. The 6-foot-3.5 defensive back prospect announced his list Friday, telling 247Sports’ Brandon Huffman that USC made the list because of the “fresh feel” the new coaching staff has brought to the Trojans.

Crawford ranks as a 3-star prospect in the industry-generated 247 Composite. The evaluators at 247Sports themselves, however, view him as a 4-star prospect and a top-247 player in his class. He ranks as the 233rd overall prospect and the 26th-best corner in the 2023 class. ESPN also gives Crawford a 4-star rating. Rivals’ analysts are significantly lower on his ability. Both make up the 247 Composite score.

247’s national recruiting expert, Greg Biggins, had this to say on Crawford’s game:

“… Crawford can obviously work on his top-end speed but we like his short-area burst and you can see his athleticism on the offensive side of the ball. He’s got some twitch to him and plays with suddenness. He plays a physical game as well and has a nice edge to him. His Pacifica program is known for their toughness and being the kind of team that is uncomfortable to play against. As Crawford continues to fill out and improve athletically, his game will rise to another level and there’s no reason why he won’t be on the short list when talking about the top (defensive) backs in the ’23 West Coast class.”

Crawford runs track for his high school as well, posting 100-meter times in the 11.4 range as a junior. He has a verified 4.15-second shuttle time and a 33.1-inch vertical. As a junior last season, he had 63 tackles, seven pass breakups, and one interception in 10 games.

Cal is on his list because of a “great academic reputation,” he told Huffman. Oregon’s coaching staff has built a strong relationship, as has UCLA’s. He was committed to the Bruins from July 30, 2021, until Jan. 23, 2022. Since decommitting, UCLA has remained in the hunt.

He took an official to Westwood on May 20. He has official visits lined up for Cal (June 10), USC (June 16), and Washington (June 24).

You can view Crawford’s high school tape below, via Hudl: