USC Trojans On Verge Of Landing Five-Star Recruit Over Kentucky, UCLA

The USC Trojans have one of the best 2026 recruiting classes in the country with a pair of four-star signees in tow in Darius and Adonis Ratliff. However, the Trojans might not be done yet and could bring one of the best unsigned players left in the cycle into the fold.

Five-star forward Christian Collins held a prediction in favor of Kentucky from On3's Joe Tipton for quite a while, but he recently backed off his prediction in favor of a new team.

Prediction flipping

USC Trojans Eric Musselman Christian Collins Adonis Ratliff Darius Ratliff Recruiting NIL Transfer Portal NCAA Tournament — Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Tipton explained the reasoning behind shifting his prediction and said that the momentum in Collins' recruitment has been moving towards the hometown school.

"USC is one school that has stayed consistent with Collins and was even thought of by many as the frontrunner, before Kentucky gained ground. Now, Eric Musselman and the Trojans are once again in the driver’s seat and are quickly gaining momentum. With that being said, I’ve decided to flip my prediction for Collins from Kentucky to USC," Tipton said.

It's not a surprise to see Musselman and the Trojans start to gain ground on Kentucky. USC has been performing very admirably in year two under Musselman and currently are on track to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in his tenure.

Despite missing a large chunk of the season, freshman Alijah Arenas has looked fantastic for the Trojans. Having another local, in-state player playing at a high level at USC gives the Trojans plenty of ammunition to use in their recruitment of Collins.

In addition to landing Tipton, Rivals' Recruiting Prediction Machine also predicts for USC to land Collins. The RPM gives the Trojans a 93 percent chance of landing the five-star forward.

USC's 2026 recruiting class

If USC does wind up landing Collins, it would ascend their recruiting class into one of the best classes in the Big Ten. Currently, the Trojans' 2026 class ranks as the No. 22 class in the country according to 247Sports' rankings.

Adonis Ratliff is the higher ranked of the two brothers. He is listed as the No. 3 power forward and No 17 player in the country according to 247Sports' rankings. Darius Ratliff is listed as the No. 2 center and No. 23 player in the country.

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Eric Musselman's rising recruiting success with the Trojans

Since joining USC, Musselman has quickly established a foothold in the greater Los Angeles area.

During his first recruiting cycle in 2024, he signed four-star combo guard Isaiah Elohim, the No. 9 player in California according to 247Sports' rankings. The following year, USC signed Alijah Arenas, the No. 2 in-state recruit.

If Musselman is able to close the deal and land Collins, it would be a third straight recruiting cycle that he has landed a top ten player from the state. Collins is currently ranked as the No. 1 player in the state.

Prediction flipping

USC's 2026 recruiting class

Eric Musselman's rising recruiting success with the Trojans

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