Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans Recruiting Battle Heats Up: Ryder Lyons, Richard Wesley, Mark Bowman

EUGENE – The Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans have been going head-to-head on the recruiting trail for the nation's top prospects. The Trojans hold the top spot in 2026 recruiting with 17 total commits, while the Ducks are ranked No. 8 with eight total commits. Although USC is ahead of Oregon, several uncommitted prospects are set to announce their commitments in the coming months.

Key uncommitted recruits like five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons, five-star defensive end Richard Wesley, and five-star tight end Mark Bowman are all considering Oregon and USC among other finalists. Additionally, Oregon recently lost a commitment from defensive line recruit Tomuhini Topui, a Southern California prospect now predicted to USC.

The Trojans are also pushing for Oregon commit Kodi Greene, hosting the talented offensive lineman on campus for spring practice.

A large reason for USC and Oregon’s rivalry on the recruiting trail is that the two programs are the biggest football brands on the West Coast, placing them in the backyard of any players west of Texas. Not to mention, California is one of the most talented states in high school football. With USC right there and Oregon just north, both programs are in close physical proximity to the nation's top high school football players.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The recruiting battle between the Ducks and Trojans is far from over. As both Oregon and USC look to solidify their future rosters, many prospects are still weighing their options between the two powerhouse programs.

Three Key Prospects in the Oregon vs. USC Recruiting Battle:

Ryder Lyons- 5-Star Quarterback

Lyons, a five-star quarterback out of Folsom, California, is being heavily pursued by many top programs around the nation. Two of these programs pushing for the young play caller's commitment are Oregon and USC.

Full soph szn highlights and stats ⬇️⬇️

3600 passing yards
950 rushing yards
61 total touchdowns
D1 state champions @Passing_Academy @CoachDanny10 @BrandonHuffman https://t.co/jLZBOu29Nz pic.twitter.com/xTe8eDLQ4K
— Ryder Lyons (@ryderly0ns) December 18, 2023

On Thursday, Lyons returned to USC to get a first-hand look at the Trojans’ spring practice. USC is certainly among Lyons’ top choices, largely due to Trojans coach Lincoln Riley’s history of excellence.

“Coach (Lincoln) Riley, three first picks in the NFL Draft, three Heismans, it’s very familiar, my brother goes there, they’ve been recruiting me for a while, so I don’t think there’s any better QB coach in the country, to be honest. Coach Riley knows what he’s doing,” Lyons told On3’s Steve Wiltfong.

Despite bold claims about USC and Riley, Oregon has also made a positive impression on Lyons.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley holds the championship trophy after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Coach Stein, Coach Lanning, how they’re doing as a program, they’re just building and building," Lyons told On3. "Me and Coach Stein have a great relationship, probably the best out of any other coaches. They’ve been recruiting me the hardest probably, the whole time."

USC, Oregon, and BYU are Lyons’ top choices. After high school, Lyons plans to serve an LDS mission before enrolling in college in the spring of 2027.

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Richard Wesley- 5-Star Edge

The Ducks and Trojans are battling for yet another California native in five-star defensive end Richard Wesley. Wesley is listed as a five-star and reclassified from the class of 2027 to 2026. USC has the home-field advantage as Wesley attends Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles, California.

5 star DL Richard Wesley from Sierra Canyon had a visit to USC 👀✌🏻 Home is home 🏠🌴#WeWantRichie #StayHome #FightOn✌🏻 pic.twitter.com/4HagmY7kNb
— Arrogant Nation✌🏻 (@FightOnRusty) March 25, 2025

It's no surprise Oregon and USC are both in pursuit of Wesley. In 2023, he recorded 50 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks. The year before, he tallied 44 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and three forced fumbles.

Wesley is rated as the No. 20 player nationally, the No. 3 edge, and the No. 6 prospect in the state of California.

Despite undeniable interest from USC, it appears as if Oregon is the frontrunner for the 6-5, 250-pound defensive end. In fact, Rivals' Adam Gorney projects Oregon to ultimately secure Wesley's commitment over USC and other programs like Texas.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I really like it over there," Wesley told High School on Sports Illustrated’s Andre Nemec. "I know that Dan Lanning used to be a defensive coordinator and Coach Tosh used to be an edge rusher, like myself, so I like how the team is centered for the defensive side," he said.

Mark Bowman-5-Star Tight End

The Ducks and Trojans' recruiting battle continues with five-star tight end Mark Bowman. Bowman, like Lyons and Wesley, is a California native. The 6-4, 225-pound tight end attends Mater Dei High School.

Bowman is ranked as the No. 2 tight end in the class according to On3 and slots in as the No. 30 prospect nationally.

5-Star Mater Dei (Calif.) TE Mark Bowman (@Mark_Bowman09) is back in Austin. Will watch spring practice No. 3 this morning. @ontexasfootball pic.twitter.com/FoE4AJhe1T
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) March 29, 2025

The Oregon Ducks have been actively recruiting Bowman, who recently reclassified from the class of 2027 to 2026. Despite moving up a class, Bowman remains the No. 1 tight end in his class according to 247Sports. He has already visited Oregon for an unofficial trip and is planning to return to Eugene for an official visit.

USC is also in the mix for Bowman’s commitment, despite not being heavily involved early on in his recruitment process. Interest began for the Trojans following personnel and coaching changes, and their renewed interest has made them one of the most aggressive suitors for his commitment.

Oregon Ducks defensive back Trikweze Bridges (11) celebrates recovering the fumble on the play during the second half of the game against the USC Trojans Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | Abigail Dollins/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

“They showed a lot of love," Bowman told 247Sports after a visit to USC. "The whole coaching staff was waiting for me when I got there. I got to sit down with Lincoln and go over how he would use me in the offense and talked about how he sees me as a player there.”

Bowman is also considering other top programs, with the Georgia Bulldogs making a strong push. He has an upcoming visit to Athens scheduled for April, according to On3.