USC 5-Star Recruit Christian Collins Getting Noticed in Recruiting Rankings

USC Trojans 2026 recruit, forward Christian Collins is ranked among the best players in his class.

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

The USC Trojans 2026 recruiting class is one of the best in the entire country. A big reason for this is the signing of forward Christian Collins.

Christian Collins Ranked As Top Five Class of 2026 Recruit

Mar 30, 2026; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Christian Collins (11) during the McDonalds All American Jam Fest at Millennium High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Paul Biancardi of ESPN revealed the final rankings for 2026 recruiting class. Here is his top five.

1. Tyran Stokes, Forward
2. Jordan Smith, Guard
3. Caleb Holt, Forward
4. Cameron Williams, Forward
5. Christian Collins, Forward

The final 2026 @SCNext Top 100 player rankings are out 👀

Full list by @PaulBiancardi ➡️ https://t.co/rVjoDaJ6nh pic.twitter.com/xDPRXO3z1g

— ESPN (@espn) May 1, 2026

Christian Collins is a 6-8, 200 pound forward out of Los Angeles, California. He is rated as a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 5 overall player in the class of 2026 according to ESPN’s recruiting database. Collins committed to USC back in March of 2026.

As a senior for St. John Bosco high school in 2025-26, Collins averaged 25.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

Collins is one of three high schools recruits in the 2026 class to sign with coach Eric Musselman and the Trojans along with four-star centers Adonis Ratliff and Darius Ratliff. Rivals ranks this class No. 3 overall in the country and No. 1 in the Big Ten. The only two teams in the country above them are the Duke Blue Devils at No. 1 and the Arkansas Razorbacks at No. 2.

USC’s Incoming Transfer Class

Mar 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In addition to this highly ranked recruiting class, USC also has an intriguing incoming transfer class. This gives Trojans fans even more reason to be excited about the 2026-27 team. USC added these three players in the portal. Rivals ranks all them as four-star transfers.

KJ Lewis, Guard

KJ Lewis is a 6-4, 185 pound guard that has three seasons of college basketball experience on his resume. Lewis played for the Arizona Wildcats from 2023-2025 and the Georgetown Hoyas from 2025-26. Last season with Georgetown, Lewis averaged a career high 14.9 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Eric Reibe, Center

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UConn Huskies center Eric Reibe (12) dunks the ball against the UCLA Bruins in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Eric Reibe is a 7-0, 225 pound center that played for the UConn Huskies in 2025-26 as a freshman before entering the portal. He averaged 5.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in 13.8 minutes per game.

Jalen Cox, Guard

Jalen Cox is a 6-3, 180 pound guard coming off three seasons with the Colgate Raiders from 2023-2026. In 2025-26, Cox averaged 17.9 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game.

USC Seeking NCAA Tournament Return

Feb 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California head coach Eric Musselman communicates during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

These three additions along with the incoming recruiting class, plus the return of guard Alijah Arenas provide reason for optimism. USC has failed to reach the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons. They’ll look to change that in 2026-27.

Eric Musselman has been the USC coach for the past two seasons, but he too missed the 2024 NCAA Tournament when he was the coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Will the Trojans be in the tournament field in 2027? Time will tell.

Their chances got even better with the recent report that the NCAA is looking to expand the field from 68 teams to 76.

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