LSU Football and USC Trojans Emerging as Contenders for Elite Louisiana Quarterback

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Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian four-star quarterback Peyton Houston is gearing up for a massive junior campaign in the Bayou State with all eyes on the coveted prospect.
Houston, the No. 2 rated signal-caller in Louisiana, has Brian Kelly's LSU Tigers firmly in the mix as a school on his radar, but other schools are emerging quickly for the Louisiana native as he becomes a household name.
It's no secret why the top schools in America are lining up for Houston's services.
The 5-foot-10, 202-pound dual-threat quarterback stuffed the stat sheet night in and night out during his sophomore campaign in 2024 where he earned double-digit offers.
Houston completed 310/443 passes (70%) for 4,480 yards with 38 touchdowns with only six interceptions while rushing 105 times for 690 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024.
It was monster game after monster game where he had seven games of 300+ passing yards, including a whopping 817 yards on 53/65 passing for eight touchdowns and zero interceptions in a 77-76 loss to Captain Shreve High School on October 10.
Houston set the Evangel Christian Academy single-season record with 5,170 yards of total offense during the 2024 season.
The impactful season has caused a meteoric rise for Houston where he has already reeled in 25+ offers including LSU, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M prior to his junior campaign.
Houston then locked in a dozen unofficial visits during the spring where he saw a myriad of the top schools in America over the last few months.
- Oklahoma Sooners: March 8
- LSU Tigers: March 14
- Texas A&M: March 21
- Clemson Tigers: March 29
- Tennessee Volunteers: March 31
- Michigan Wolverines: April 3
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish: April 4
- Georgia Bulldogs: April 5
- Miami Hurricanes: April 10
- Texas Longhorns: April 12
- USC Trojans: April 19
- Penn State Nittany Lions: April 21
But two schools are now beginning to separate from the pack for the four-star quarterback out of Louisiana.
The LSU Tigers are in the mix, but a West Coast program is emerging as the team to beat for the talented signal-caller.
Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans have received a pair of predictions to land the highly-touted signal-caller from the Bayou State.
NEW: Rivals’ @SWiltfong_ and @samspiegs have logged expert predictions for USC to land 2027 4-star QB Peyton Houston✌️
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 7, 2025
Houston is the No. 8 QB in the 2027 class.
Read: https://t.co/mFVQpYkotm pic.twitter.com/XjAsT6IQz6
Houston has visited Riley and Co. on multiple occasions with the relationship between both parties continuing to grow this offseason.
Now, the USC Trojans appear to be in the driver's seat, but the LSU Tigers are set to get Houston down to campus this fall for a game day visit as the program looks to battle back.
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Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics.
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