Four-Star Mekai Brown Makes Recruiting Announcement With USC, Ohio State, Notre Dame

Greenwich Country Day (Conn.) four-star edge Mekai Brown is set to announce his commitment on Friday, April 17, On3 reported on Monday.

Brown cut his list down to five schools last week, which included USC, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Ohio State and Notre Dame and the No. 27 overall prospect and No. 1 player in Connecticut according to Rivals is ready to make a decision.

Stacking Elite Out of State Defensive Linemen

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Mekai Brown Recruiting Commitment Date Jahkeem Stewart All-American Luke Wafle Spring Practice — Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The Trojans hosted Brown for a multi-day visit last month during spring practice and began picking up momentum. He got an in-depth look at the program, and it made a lasting impression. Brown is from across the country, but this isn’t new territory for USC.

In the 2024 cycle, USC landed four-star recruit and top 100 product Kameryn Crawford. The Booker T. Washington (Ga.) product has appeared in 21 career games, including 12 starts over the past two seasons. He led the team in sacks in 2025.

In the 2025 cycle, after an intense recruiting battle, the Trojans landed four-star defensive lineman and top 50 recruit Jahkeem Stewart. The New Orleans native was a Freshman All-American this past season, despite playing the entire year with a stress fracture in his foot.

And then this past cycle, USC landed Hun School (N.J.) five-star defensive end Luke Wafle, the No. 1 overall recruit according to Rivals, in a recruiting battle that went to the very last hour. Five-star defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield is another prized recruit in the 2026 class, who the Trojans pulled out of the Lone Star State.

Southern Cal has made a significant investment in its defensive front, which has meant going outside the state of California, and are trending towards adding Brown to the list in the 2027 class.

The 6-foot-7, 235-pound has elite length and an explosive first step. He has room to add plenty of weight and muscle, and that is where USC's strength and conditioning coach Trumain Carroll comes into play.

Defensive Line Recruiting Targets

Santa Margarita (Calif.) three-star Isaia Vandermade is the team's lone commitment on the defensive line in this current class. The Trojans have locked in on a pair of top defensive linemen from Southern California.

Sierra Canyon (Calif.) five-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou felt like a longshot just a month ago. Now, things have started to get very interesting. USC hosted Fakatou on April 3 and according to On3’s Scott Schrader, the local product made a return visit on Monday.

Right now, the goal is to get an official visit lined up. It was once believed that Fakatou wanted to leave the West Coast, but he has begun to open up the idea of staying in this part of country. Getting Fakatou on campus once was big, but a second trip is real. If there's one thing that is true about the Trojans on the recruiting trail since revamping its personnel staff last winter, it is that they are relentless in their pursuit of elite prospects.

Oaks Christian (Calif.) four-star defensive lineman Alifeleti Tuihalamaka visited for a spring practice early last month. USC is also pushing to lock in an official visit.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google