Elite Mater Dei Recruit Sets Busy Fall Visit Schedule: USC Trojans, Ohio State, Alabama

Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star cornerback Aaryn Washington is one of the most coveted defensive backs in the 2027 cycle.

Washington was a standout last season as a sophomore playing in the Trinity League. Several premier programs are in the mix, including the hometown USC Trojans.

Washington is the No. 19 overall prospect, No. 4 cornerback and No. 2 player in the state of California, per the 247Sports Rankings.

Elite Mater Dei Defensive Fall Visit Schedule Aaryn Washington Big Ten USC Trojans Football Mark Bowman Tomuhini Topui — Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

USC has made it a priority to keep the highly sought-after recruit in Southern California. Cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed and secondary coach Doug Belk is leading the charge for Washington. Lincoln Riley and defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn have also been in involved in his recruitment.

Under new general manager Chad Bowden, the Trojans have restored its recruiting pipeline with Mater Dei (Calif.) They hold three commitments from the national powerhouse in the 2026 cycle, five-star tight end Mark Bowman, four-star linebacker Shaun Scott and four-star defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui.

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USC has not signed a player from Mater Dei since the 2022 recruiting cycle, Riley's first recruiting class with the Trojans. What's even more disappointing is the school is located less than 50 miles from campus and flooded with blue-chip prospects every cycle.

The Trojans want to carry this momentum into future classes and Washington is at the top of the list. He plans on making the short trip to Los Angeles in the fall to attend a game at the Coliseum. USC will continue to have the luxury of visiting him frequently at his school and will certainly push for him to attend more than one game.

Washington has a busy fall itinerary lined up. In addition, to attending USC, Washington will also visit Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, Oregon and UCLA.

Restoring Recruiting Pipelines

While the Trojans have rebuilt its pipeline with Mater Dei, they would like to do the same with a couple of more local high schools.

USC has gone all-in on landing Junipero Serra (Calif.) five-star cornerback Duvay Williams, who comes from the same school that has produced former receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee, cornerback Adoree Jackson, defensive lineman Rasheem Greene and Deontay Burnett. Multiple schools across the country are vying for the No. 1 recruit in the California, but the Trojans have been setting the pace for his recruitment.

Long Beach Poly (Calif.) four-star JuJu Johnson is another big target. The talented defensive back comes from the same school that has produced receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, cornerback Iman Marshall, linebacker Willie McGinest, offensive tackle Winston Justice, defensive lineman Jurrell Casey and safeties Darnell Bing and Mark Carrier.

All three high schools, Mater Dei, Junipero Serra and Long Beach Poly have been centerpieces of some great USC teams over the decades. The pipeline with those schools had virtually been non-exist for several years, but under general manager Chas Bowden, the Trojans have put an emphasis on keeping elite Southern California talent from leaving their backyard.

Restoring Recruiting Pipelines

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