USC Trojans Make Move for Elite Ole Miss Football Target, Top-10 EDGE in America

Pete Golding and Co. remain firmly in the race for the dynamic defender, USC Trojans up next on the visit schedule.

Courtesy of Mekai Brown via X.

Greenwich (Conn.) four-star edge rusher Mekai Brown is in the midst of a significant stretch in his recruitment process with double-digit unofficial visits on the docket this offseason.

Brown checks in as the No. 4 rated EDGE in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle with programs from coast-to-coast turning up the heat for the talented prospect as his recruitment takes off.

The 6-foot-6, 235-pounder has earned offers from the likes of the Ole Miss Rebels, LSU Tigers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, and Penn State Nittany Lions, among several others, across his prep career.

But there are contenders emerging as Brown locks in his visit schedule for the summer with multiple trips already under his belt.

The fast-rising defensive weapon has raved about Pete Golding's Ole Miss Rebels and the program's defensive scheme as he keeps tabs amid a critical recruiting stretch.

“I think it's definitely great coaching and it's an atmosphere in a place I could really thrive in," Brown told 247Sports.

Courtesy of Mekai Brown on Instagram.

Now, Brown has Ole Miss on the docket ahead of a massive offseason.

- Florida Gators: March 3
- North Carolina Tar Heels: March 9
- Missouri Tigers: March 17
- Ole Miss Rebels: March 19
- Texas A&M Aggies: March 27
- Penn State Nittany Lions: April 3
- South Carolina Gamecocks: April 8
- Kentucky Wildcats: Apri 17
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish: April 24
- UCLA Bruins: April 29

Ole Miss will get the Top-10 EDGE in America down to Oxford this spring with an unofficial visit on the docket for March 19 as his rise continues.

But other schools are intensifying their pursuits with the USC Trojans now adding a surprise visit to the schedule for this week, Brown revealed via X.

Southern Cal tomorrow‼️#FightOn✌🏽@ChadSimmons_ @SchraderOn3 @BrianDohn247 @SWiltfong_ pic.twitter.com/3qh5hGvkQH

— Mekai Brown (@mekai_brown) March 11, 2026

Brown has seen his recruitment take off this offseason after the elite defender saw his game explode as a junior in 2025.

“This year, I really loved the game, and I was really good at it. I didn't think there was much of a point quitting something that I loved and was good at, and so I picked it up again. And yeah, this is how it turned out," Brown told Pittsburgh Panthers On SI.

Now, all eyes are on a pivotal offseason stretch with Ole Miss and other swinging for the fences for the dynamic defensive weapon.

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.