Five-Star Forward Christian Collins Has an Exciting Fit on Eric Musselman's Roster

After losing a few players in the transfer portal, the USC Trojans and coach Eric Musselman have needed to make some additions heading into next season. Musselman and the Trojans were able to do that in a big way on the recruiting trail, landing the best player in California in five-star forward Christian Collins.

Collins committed to USC in March, but his signing was officially announced by the Trojans on April 19.

USC Trojans Men's Basketball Lands Top Player In California Forward Christian Collins Coach Eric Musselman Big Ten — Mar 31, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Christian Collins (11) during the McDonalds All American Boys Game at Desert Diamond Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

What Christian Collins Brings to USC

Christian Collins had received significant attention as he narrowed it down to a few options on where he would begin his college career, before ultimately choosing to play at USC.

Collins has spent his last two seasons at St. John Bosco, where he was able to develop into a great overall player. In his senior season, Collins averaged 25.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game.

His ability to contribute to nearly every aspect of the game gives Collins a great opportunity to add value to USC in a significant way as soon as next season.

Standing at 6-9, Collins brings great length to the frontcourt for USC and can be a great asset all over the floor. On the defensive end, he can be very disruptive in passing lanes to create deflections and turnovers in addition to challenging shots at the rim to limit what opposing teams can do on the interior.

On the offensive end, Collins can also be very effective with his ability to drive through the lane and finish in multiple ways around the rim. Added to his driving ability, Collins can face double teams and, with his size, is able to find the open player to make the right play.

Collins has almost every skill he would need to be successful at the college level and possesses great size, which can help him continue to develop as a great defender. As he begins his college career, Collins has a great opportunity to be a valuable contributor for the Trojans and could become one of the best additions Musselman and his staff made this offseason.

Christian Collins Fit on Eric Musselman's Roster

The main thing Collins brings to the Trojans is his versatility on both ends of the floor to serve a variety of roles regardless of how the game of basketball continues to evolve.

Collins’ impact could be felt most on the defensive end, where, with his 6-9 frame, he can move very well with great athleticism and length to defend basically every position on the floor. That flexibility on the defensive end with a young player like Collins helps Musselman to get more comfortable trying different lineups and approaches on the defensive end to adjust throughout the season and throughout specific games.

Collins, also coming from a program like St. John Bosco, brings a great competitive fire, which is something the Trojans are looking for as they aim to end their NCAA Tournament drought next season.

As Collins heads into his freshman season, he has almost every trait that Musselman could hope for as a two-way player and could give the Trojans exactly what they need to make a run at the NCAA Tournament and stay competitive in the Big Ten.

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