USC Trojans Star-Studded Recruiting Class Hints At Big Ten Breakthrough

With USC set to bring in its best recruiting class under coach Eric Musselman, where do the Trojans rank among the other top teams in the Big Ten?

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

The USC Trojans basketball team has the opportunity to have a special 2026-27 season as they aim to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years.

USC coach Eric Musselman, who is set to enter his third season with the Trojans, returns several top stars and reloaded in the transfer portal following a disappointing end to his second year. After what was a promising start for the Trojans, USC fell apart, finishing with an 18-14 overall record and going 7-13 in Big Ten play, missing their goal of reaching the tournament.

Feb 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the Oregon Ducks in the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While transfer portal additions and the return of the backcourt duo of guards Rodney Rice and Alijah Arenas will play a role in USC reaching the tournament, it’s their incoming recruiting class that could be the Trojans' biggest x-factor. 

USC Trojans Incoming Recruiting Class Compared to 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

Musselman is set to bring in his best recruiting class during his time with USC, highlighted by three McDonald’s All-Americans. Five-star forward Christian Collins, along with four-stars Adonis Ratliff and Darius Ratliff, look to have an immediate impact for the Trojans as they look to be one of the Big Ten’s toughest teams next season.

USC’s 2026 recruiting class, with the additions of the Ratliff brothers and Collins, is ranked No. 9 overall nationally, per 247Sports. Four of the Big Ten’s top teams last season ranked above the Trojans in the 2026 recruiting class rankings, according to 247Sports, including the defending national champions, the Michigan Wolverines, leading the way at No. 4 overall, the Michigan State Spartans (No. 5), Illinois Fighting Illini (No. 6), and Purdue Boilermakers (No. 8). 

Mar 31, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Darius Ratliff (13) during the McDonalds All American Boys Game at Desert Diamond Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While top recruiting classes don’t guarantee success on the court, USC is in good company entering the 2026 season, and with Musselman leading the charge, they have high potential. Michigan was crowned the 2025-26 national champions, defeating the UConn Huskies, snapping the Big Ten’s 26-year title streak. 

Where USC Stacks Up Against Big Ten's Top Teams

Feb 8, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman looks on from the bench during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The three other Big Ten teams that rank ahead of the Trojans in the 2026 recruiting rankings, per 247Sports, also had successful seasons. The Illinois Fighting Illini made their first Final Four since 2005, while Purdue and Michigan State made the second weekend of the tournament, with the Boilermakers falling in the Elite 8 and the Spartans going down in the Sweet 16.

Although USC’s odds of winning a national championship are considered a long shot at +4000, making it to the second weekend of the tournament in the first season of the expanded 76-team tournament would be considered a phenomenal season for Musselman’s Trojans squad, and their incoming recruiting class can play a role in that being accomplished.  

Even though USC has yet to make the tournament under Musselman, USC’s basketball program is in much better shape than before he arrived and has improved every season. That is a trend USC fans hope continues as they enter the 2026-27 season. 

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