Former USC 6-foot-3, 240-pound defensive end out of Dublin, Georgia opened quite a few eyes while helping the Yellowjackets take down No. 10 Florida State 24-21 in Dublin, Ireland.

Every USC football fan understands that the future of the program, both for 2024 and beyond, hinges on whether Lincoln Riley can develop a championship-caliber defense. On Saturday, in the opening college football game of the season, a former Trojan defender showed he could be a valuable asset on a strong defense. Unfortunately, this performance came while he was wearing a Georgia Tech uniform.

Romello Height, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound defensive end from Dublin, Georgia, caught attention as he helped the Yellowjackets secure a 24-21 victory over No. 10 Florida State in Dublin, Ireland. He recorded three tackles, including one for a loss, and at times appeared nearly unblockable against an FSU offensive line that was expected to be a strength for the Seminoles this season.

Height, a redshirt junior, transferred to USC from Auburn and has struggled with injuries throughout his career. He has accumulated just 39 tackles and four sacks so far. He was highly regarded coming out of high school as a four-star recruit and the No. 24 outside linebacker in the class of 2020, but has yet to fully realize his potential.

As a true freshman at Auburn, Height played in only one game while redshirting. In 2021, he appeared in nine games, recording 19 tackles and three tackles for loss. During his time at USC in 2022, he played in only two games before a shoulder injury ended his season. Last year, he had his best performance as a Trojan with 20 tackles and four sacks in 12 games.Watching Height make an impact against Florida State for Georgia Tech was intriguing. He was the top pass rusher for his team, frequently collapsing the pocket and disrupting the Seminoles’ passing game. Although he didn’t record a sack (Georgia Tech had only one in the game), he pressured the quarterback effectively. He did get to the QB once, but the sack was nullified by a facemask penalty.

Could USC have used a player like Height this year? Last season, the Trojans ranked 47th nationally in sacks per game with 2.3, and there are concerns about maintaining or improving those numbers this fall. Jamil Muhammad returns after recording 6.5 sacks last season, but most of his impact was in the first half of the season. Meanwhile, Anthony Lucas will have an opportunity to make an impact at the other defensive end spot, although he only managed ten tackles last year.

In other words, USC lacks proven talent at defensive end this year, making a player like Height highly desirable. Unfortunately, there’s nothing USC can do about that now, and the current roster will need to prove they can be consistent and disruptive. However, watching Height’s performance for Georgia Tech against a top-ranked team likely left USC fans contemplating what might have been if he had stayed with the Trojans.