4-Star Recruit CJ Sadler Compares USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley, Michigan Wolverines' Sherrone Moore

With the season over and the transfer portal closed, the USC Trojans and coach Lincoln Riley have turned their focus on the 2026 recruiting class. They recently hosted a number of recruits on campus, one of them being four-star athlete CJ Sadler, from Detroit, Michigan.

Sadler is a consensus four-star recruit, and he is the No. 1 prospect from the state of Michigan in 2026, according to On3's rankings.

While Sadler is as an athlete and as a wide receiver on the major recruiting services, but it appears as though the Trojans are projecting Sadler to play on defense.

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

On his recent visit, the four-star recruit spoke with 247Sports' Chris Treviño about his relationship with Riley as well as USC secondary coach Doug Belk.

"I love Lincoln Riley. Man, he's considered one of the best college coaches to ever live. So, you know, just him on offensive side of things with me playing receiver and also wanting to play DB in college too. I love the DB coach, coach Belk. He was talking to me too. Those guys are just cool, man. I'm basing my commitment off relationships and development with the coaches," Sadler said.

Riley's resume clearly speaks for itself, and he has assembled a talented and experienced defensive coaching staff, led by defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn and linebackers coach Rob Ryan.

In addition to USC, Sadler is considering schools like the Michigan Wolverines, Alabama Crimson Tide, Oregon Ducks, LSU Tigers, and others.

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While on his visit, Sadler raved about the campus and talked about the new Bloom Football Performance Center, scheduled to open in the summer of 2026.

"USC's campus is beautiful, you know. Coach Lincoln Riley said they actually getting another new facility," said Sadler. "Man, so that's beautiful. He said something like $250 million for the facility. That's just crazy to be in that type of atmosphere."

The Trojans' commitment to football extends beyond the facilities, as the recent hire of general manager Chad Bowden from Notre Dame also shows the strength of resources that Riley has at USC.

Jan 19, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines head football coach Sherrone Moore fires up the crowd in overtime of the basketball game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Crisler Center. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Earlier in the season, On3's EJ Holland reported that Michigan is heavily recruiting Sadler in 2026. When the Wolverines hired coach Sherrone Moore to replace Jim Harbaugh, Sadler revealed his thoughts to Holland.

"He’s been in the program for so long. He knows the culture," Sadler said to On3. "He has guys around him that have been there. Last year, he had the head coach position and won games. Big games at that — Penn State and Ohio State. I feel like they haven’t lost anything with him as head coach.”

Will the Trojans be able to lure Sadler away from the Wolverines?

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