The Biggest Thing to Know About USC On National Signing Day

National Signing Day is upon us. And while the day has lost pretty much all of its juice because of the early signing period in December, some programs will add talent to its recruiting class.

Last season, the USC Trojans signed two players during the February National Signing Day. That won’t be the case this season. USC is done recruiting for the 2026 cycle and have shifted all of its focus to the 2027 cycle.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Big Ten Recruiting Class Rankings Mark Bowman Luke Wafle Chad Bowden Elbert Hill Jaimeon Winfield — Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Trojans signed 35 recruits in December, 32 of which have already enrolled on campus and will be taking part in spring practice starting next month.

USC's No. 1 Ranked Recruiting Class

USC's No. 1 ranked class that features four players that have earned a five-star rating by at least one recruiting outlet, including edge Luke Wafle, the No. 1 overall recruit according to Rivals, defensive tackle Jaimeon Winfield, offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe and tight end Mark Bowman. Four-star Elbert Hill just missed out on his fifth star but is the No. 1 ranked cornerback, according to ESPN.

Trojans defensive coordinator Gary Patterson talked during his opening press conference last week about the importance of having their freshman on campus already.

“We got 32 of 35 are already here. So, you have your whole team,” Patterson said. “You get one cycle right now of lifting and then you start spring ball and you start another cycle and you finish at the end of spring ball and then you get back at the summer time and you go and finish another cycle.

“A kid nowadays has three cycles of lifting and he went through 15 practices and all the meetings. They’re not a freshman anymore. That’s what we got to understand. If we do it right and we teach and we build foundations, they’re not a freshman anymore.”

In his first season as the Trojans general manager, Chad Bowden led brand-new front office and changed the Trojans recruiting approach. They were relentless on the trail, landing almost the entirety of its class before official visit season began in the summer.

They front loaded NIL contracts and outbid other programs for elite recruits, something they had struggled with because of their NIL collectives not being up to par with the changing landscape in college football.

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Bowden implemented a new rule that recruits weren’t allowed to visit other schools after they were committed to USC, which was something their signees embraced. They took the opportunity to grow closer as a class and get acclimated to life at USC and became frequent visitors on campus in the spring, summer and eventually in the fall on game days.

There was an emphasis on rebuilding recruiting pipelines in California. Sierra Canyon (Calif.) four-star cornerback Brandon Lockhart, three-star safety Madden Riordan and receiver Ja’Myron ‘Tron’ Baker kicked off what became of wave of local prospects deciding to stay home when they all committed during the fall of their sophomore year.

The Trojans signed more recruits from the prestigious Trinity League conference, which features powerhouses such as Mater Dei, Santa Margarita and St. John Bosco, with eight in the 2026 class, than they did the previous four cycles combined.

In total, they landed from 20 recruits from California, which also included four-star running Deshonne Redeaux, linebacker Shaun Scott, offensive tackle Vlad Dyakonov and receivers Trent Mosley and Luc Weaver.

USC flipped players like Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt from Ohio State on the first day of the early signing period. They had flipped his teammate, four-star defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui, from Oregon in the spring.

Out of state, four-star quarterback Jonas Williams had also flipped his commitment from Oregon in the spring. Four-star IOL Esun Tafa decommitted from Washington, while four-star cornerback Peyton Dyer decommitted from South Carolina in the spring after they both received interest from USC.

The Trojans filled most it’s class in the spring but zeroed in on a few players during official visit season in four-star receiver Boobie Feaster, linebacker Talanoa Ili and IOL Breck Kolojay.

In the fall, USC was able to flip four-star tight Josiah Jefferson, the No. 1 ranked JUCO tight end, from Utah and three-star cornerback Jayden Crowder from Cal.

Expectations for Elite Recruiting Class

USC’s 2026 recruiting class is widely viewed as a program-altering class and it’s the vision Bowden sold them on.

It’s a combination of players that can make an immediate impact and help the Trojans make a push for its first appearance in the College Football Playoff. Several programs that made the dance, featured star freshman to combine with veteran leadership and experience.

The only difference is USC expects to have more impact freshman. But there are plenty of signees the Trojans view as developmental players that can make an impact after a couple of seasons of being in the program.

Nothing is given but their presence on campus will certainly intensify plenty of position battles staring this spring and into fall camp.

USC's No. 1 Ranked Recruiting Class

Expectations for Elite Recruiting Class

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