BIOGRAPHY
Porter Gustin is a linebacker for the National Football League, who played college football at the University of Southern California.
In high school, Gustin made the 2014 Parade All-American first team, Prep Star All-American Dream Team, Max Preps All-American first team, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, USA Today All-Utah and All-State first team as a senior linebacker and quarterback at Salem (Utah) Hills High. He had 152 tackles, with 29 for losses (10.5 sacks), plus 2 interceptions, 2 deflections and a fumble recovery on defense and he completed 212-of-349 passes (60.7%) for 2,864 yards with 22 TDs and 7 interceptions and ran for 891 yards on 92 carries (9.7 avg) with 10 TDs on offense in 2014.
Gustin was an often-used outside linebacker as a first-year freshman at USC. Overall in 2015 while appearing in all 14 games (starting twice, versus UCLA and Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game), he had 25 tackles, including 7 for losses of 44 yards (with a team-high 5.5 sacks for minus 38 yards).
He had 3 tackles against Arkansas State, 2 tackles (1 for a loss) against Idaho and 1 tackle (0.5 sack) against Stanford. He had 5 tackles (0.5 sack) against Washington, 2 tackles (with a sack) at Notre Dame and 1 tackle against Utah. He had 2 tackles (with a sack) against Arizona, a tackle at Colorado, 4 tackles (1.5 sacks) at Oregon, 3 tackles (with a sack) against Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game and a tackle versus Wisconsin.
As a sophomore, Gustin started the season at outside linebacker and proved to be a dominant force. Overall in 2016 while starting all 13 games, he had 68 tackles (second on USC), including a team high in tackles for loss (13 for 58 yards), plus he had 5.5 sacks for 42 yards and 4 deflections. He made 2016 Campus Insiders Sophomore All-American honorable mention and All-Pac-12 honorable mention. He won USC’s 2016 John McKay Award (underclassman with the most competitive spirit) and Lifters Award.
At 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, Gustin was one of the key players on the USC defense and known for disrupting the opposing backfield coming off the edge. The Saints run a 3-4 defense where the outside linebackers rush off the edge. USC ran a very similar defense under former defensive coordinator and current Cal head coach Justin Wilcoxand current Trojans defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. Gustin will be in a very similar role where he can rush off the edge. The scheme fit is there for Gustin and Saints head coach Sean Peyton.
