Oregon Ducks Locked in Recruiting Battle With USC for Five-Star Safety

The Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans are locked in a recruiting battle for the No. 1 safety in the 2027 class.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning greets fans at the Moshofsky Sports Center before the College Football Playoff game between Oregon and James Madison Dec. 20, 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks are back on the recruiting trail for the class of 2027, and are honing in on a five-star recruit. Five-star recruit Honor Fa’alave-Johnson has caught the eye of the Oregon Ducks, and coach Lanning and his staff will hope to have him call Eugene home. 

The Ducks are currently locked in a recruiting battle with USC for the commitment of Fa’alave-Johnson.

Fa'alave-Johnson a Game-Changer on Both Sides of the Ball

Nov 8, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning enters Kinnick Stadium before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Fa’alave-Johnson had a tremendous junior season at Central Catholic High School (California) in 2026, where he played on the defensive side of the ball as a safety and the offensive side of the ball as a running back. Fa’alave-Johnson recorded 38 total tackles, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery on defense, while logging128 carries for 1,265 yards and an astonishing 21 touchdowns. 

Out of the 12 games Fa’alave-Johnson played his junior year, he rushed for over 100 yards in seven of them. Fa’alave-Johnson is the No. 1-ranked safety in the country for the class of 2027 and the No. 17 overall recruit according to On3. 

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The Ducks and Lanning have a great track record with recruiting players in the secondary to come to Eugene. The Ducks won the signature of the No. 1 safety in the 2026 class in Jett Washington and earned the signature of the No. 2 safety in the 2025 class in Trey McNutt. 

Oregon Ducks Vying With USC for Fa'alave-Johnson's Commitment

Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley poses with fans after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

On3's Greg Biggins recently spoke about Fa’alave-Johnson’s recruitment.

“His top two as of now are USC and Oregon. I think you're going to hear that a lot this offseason, if signing day were today, I think he's a Trojan. I wouldn't be surprised if schools put it in writing to him that he would be able to play both ways if he commits," said Biggins.

The Ducks are no strangers to recruiting battles with USC and coach Lincoln Riley. The Ducks have long been recruiting in Southern California, and have established a Mater Dei High School to Eugene pipeline that brought Ducks running back Jordon Davison to Eugene.

Ducks and Trojans Familiar with Recruiting Against Each Other

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning watches a play against Michigan during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

 The Ducks and Trojans were in a recruiting battle for the No. 1 safety in the 2026 class in Jett Washington, a recruiting battle that the Ducks ultimately won. Oregon and USC are also tangled in a recruiting battle for four-star cornerback Danny Lang, who plays high school football at Mater Dei High School in Southern California. 

Oregon does not yet have a safety recruit committed in the class of 2027, and currently holds the No. 14-ranked recruiting class for the 2027 cycle. Lanning and his staff earning the commitment of Honor Fa’alave-Johnson would be another feather in the cap for the Ducks on the recruiting trail.