USC Trojans' Eric Musselman Battling Alabama, Miami For Five-Star Small Forward Recruit

The USC Trojans are on the verge of landing their first commitment of the 2026 recruiting cycle Five-star small forward Jaxon Richardson is one of the top prospects on the East Coast and has the Trojans as one of six teams he's considering signing with.

Jan 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After a relatively slow summer, the USC Trojans have picked things back up on the recruiting trail and are making serious progression towards adding their first commit to their 2026 recruiting class. The Trojans are in the hunt for one of the top prospects on the East Coast.

Five-star small forward Jaxon Richardson has been a top target of the Trojans since getting offered nearly a year ago. As a result, the Trojans have cracked his top six list and have been trying to seal the deal with the five-star recruit.

Chasing Top Target

Jan 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the UCLA Bruins at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Richardson spoke with 247Sports about his recruitment, which has turned into six team affair including the Trojans. He took an official visit to USC last month and said he liked what he saw from coach Eric Musselman's group.

"The practices were very intense and I feel like they really got after it. They were showing me the tempo and how they focus on doing everything with detail and doing everything right. They hold each other accountable and really work hard," Richardson said.

USC was one of four schools to get a visit from Richardson so far. He has two more visits lined up for the month of November before ultimately making a final decision in the near future.

Who Is In The Hunt

Feb 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts during the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The No. 9 small forward and No. 22 player in the country according to 247Sports' Composite rankings, Richardson is one of the most sought-after forwards in the country. He currently holds 21 offers....

Miami was the first school to get an official visit from Richardson. They got him on campus on Sept. 6. The following weekend, Richardson made a stop to an SEC powerhouse in Alabama for his second official visit on Sept. 13. After his visit with USC, Richardson made the trek out to Creighton for his latest visit on Oct. 18.

He's set to visit Ole Miss on Nov. 1 and then round out his list with a trip to Louisville on Nov. 8....

Rivals' Recruiting Prediction Machine favors Alabama in Richardson's recruit, giving the Crimson Tide a 39 percent chance of landing the five-star recruit. The. RPM gives USC a five percent chance of getting Richardson's commitment.

Interestingly enough, the Rebels have the second-highest chance of picking up Richardson with 20 percent chance.

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Fellow 2026 Targets

Feb 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Five-star small forward Tyran Stokes recently dropped his final list of schools as well with the Trojans making the cut. The consensus No. 1 player in the country plays at nearby Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) and could opt to stay in-state with USC.

Four-star center Josh Irving took a visit to USC on Oct. 17. He is also another in-state target for the Trojans and is ranked as the No. 4 center and No. 51 player in the country according to 247Sports' Composite rankings.