Oregon Ducks' Important Recruiting Opportunity vs. USC

LOS ANGELES- The No. 20 Oregon Ducks and the No. 12 USC Trojans have developed a historic West Coast rivalry throughout the years, dating back to their first meeting all the way back in 1915.

USC leads the all-time series 38-24-2, but Oregon has flipped the script in recent years. The Ducks have won eight of the last 10 meetings, including each of the last four. But the competition between the Ducks and Trojans goes beyond what happens on the field.

Oregon USC recruiting visitors 2027 recruits 2028 prospects Ducks Trojans college football recruiting Los Angeles Coliseum — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, and USC head coach Lincoln Riley shake hands before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As two powerhouse West Coast programs, Oregon and USC often find themselves competing for many of the same high school prospects, especially in Southern California. That recruiting battle has only continued to grow since both programs joined the Big Ten.

As USC hosts Oregon at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Trojans will have a handful of highly touted recruits in attendance, including several members of their 2027 recruiting class. For Oregon, that creates another opportunity to make an impression on prospects the Ducks and Trojans have both targeted, as well as players who have already had some history with Oregon on the recruiting trail.

USC 2027 Commits With Oregon Connections Set to Attend

USC’s 2027 recruiting class will be well represented at the Coliseum on Saturday, according to a visitor list obtained by Oregon Ducks On SI, with 12 of the Trojans' 14 2027 commits in attendance. That group includes several players who have already crossed paths with Oregon on the recruiting trail.

One of the biggest names to watch is offensive tackle Drew Fielder.

oregon ducks recruiting drew fielder dan lanning josh conerly jr usc trojans lincoln riley flip watch dan lanning — Oregon Ducks commit Drew Fielder and former Oregon star Josh Conerly Jr. | Drew Fielder / Instagram

Fielder originally committed to Oregon in February before flipping his commitment to USC a month later. The four-star offensive tackle has already visited both programs multiple times, including an official visit to Oregon in May, according to Rivals.

A strong performance from the Ducks' offensive line against USC would give Oregon another chance to show Fielder what its program can offer, even after his decision to flip his commitment to the Trojans.

Another massive name in attendance is five-star athlete Honor Fa’alave-Johnson. Fa’alave-Johnson committed to USC in March, choosing the Trojans over Oregon, Texas, Miami, LSU and Notre Dame, according to ESPN. Oregon had been heavily involved in his recruitment, and the Ducks were one of the finalists when he made his decision.

While he’ll certainly be a player the Oregon Ducks could continue to target, the five-star has said he shut down his recruitment and has continued to reiterate his commitment to USC, per USC On SI’s Kendell Howell.

The Ducks will also have history with several other members of USC's 2027 class.

Cornerback Danny Lang was among the players USC landed after an Oregon pursuit. Four-star wide receiver Quentin Hale is another USC pledge that the Ducks were heavily involved with.

Additionally, four-star defensive lineman Alifeleti Tuihalamaka, four-star safety Gavin Williams and four-star wide receiver Roye Oliver III of Hamilton are also among USC's highly rated 2027 commits expected to be part of the weekend's recruiting group.

Future Recruiting Targets Look at USC and Oregon

A number of top prospects from the 2028, 2029 and 2030 classes are also expected to be in attendance at the Coliseum, per the visitor list obtained by Oregon Ducks On SI. The group includes several players the Ducks have already made an early push for.

One of the biggest targets for Oregon and USC alike is five-star safety Casey Barner.

The McEachern High School standout is ranked as the No. 1 safety in the 2028 class per Rivals. Barner is traveling from Georgia to Los Angeles for the matchup, which gives him a chance to see both programs compete on the same field.

Barner isn't the only 2028 prospect set to attend with ties to the Ducks. Four-star cornerback Ca'ron "Prime" Williams of Santa Margarita is another name worth watching. Oregon and USC are both involved in his recruitment. Both Oregon and USC, as well as Miami, LSU and Ohio State, are among the programs showing the most traction in his recruitment, according to On3.

Four-star offensive lineman Elisha Mueller and four-star safety Ace Leutele of Mater Dei are also among the 2028 prospects expected at the Coliseum.

There are also prospects from the 2029 and 2030 classes making the trip. While many of these recruitments are still years away from being decided, Saturday's matchup gives the prospects an early opportunity to see the Ducks in action.

Oregon may not be the team hosting these prospects, but they will still have an opportunity to put their program on display in front of them. A strong performance, and especially a win over the Trojans, could give Oregon something to build on when these prospects' recruitments become more serious down the road.

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