Legendary USC Quarterback Building California Recruiting Pipeline For Trojans

USC landed its third commitment of the 2027 cycle when Santa Margarita (Calif.) three-star defensive lineman Isaia Vandermade announced his pledge on Tuesday.

Vandermade, the son of former Trojans offensive lineman and coach Lenny Vandermade, was dominant force on an Eagles team this past season that won the California Open Division I State Championship.

USC Targets Carson Palmer’s Alma Mater

USC Trojans Commitment Carson Palmer CIF Mater Dei Santa Margarita Isaia Vandermade Mark Bowman Trent Mosley Recruiting — Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer prepares to address the crowd during his Ring of Honor induction ceremony during halftime against the Seattle Seahawks September 29, 2019. Seahawks Vs Cardinals | Michael Chow/The Republic, Arizona Republic via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Former USC Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Carson Palmer just wrapped up his first season as the head coach at his alma mater that saw them win its first state title since 2011.

Vandermade recorded eight sacks in the team’s first three playoff games. He was at the center of a defense that allowed a total of 35 points in four playoff games facing premier California schools such as Sierra Canyon, Orange Lutheran, Corona Centennial and De La Salle.

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As was USC freshman defensive end Simote Katoanga and cornerback Jayden Crowder. Offensively, it was Trojans freshman receiver Trent Mosley, who accounted for 10 touchdowns in those four games, which also included a 299-yard receiving outing against Centennial.

Katoanga and Mosley announced their pledges to Southern Cal last spring. Crowder joined them after receiving an offer in early October and flipped his commitment from Cal. And with Vandermade announcing his pledge this week, Santa Margarita has quickly become a recruiting pipeline for the Trojans under Palmer.

Rising redshirt freshman offensive tackle Elijah Vaikona and start by center Kilian O’Connor also come from the prestigious local high school.

Trinity League to USC Pipeline

If USC or any other program wants to recruit Southern California, the perfect place is to start is in the Trinity League. A conference that features five prominent private schools located in Orange County in Mater Dei, Santa Margarita, Orange Lutheran, JSerra and Servite and one prominent Los Angeles County school in St. John Bosco.

The games feel more like college matchups because of the number of Power 4 recruits on the field on a yearly basis.

After signing only five recruits from the conference in the previous four recruiting classes, general manager Chad Bowden flipped the script in the 2026 cycle and the Trojans signed eight recruits from the Trinity League. The three from Santa Margarita, four from Mater Dei in tight end Mark Bowman, receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui and linebacker Shaun Scott and then one from Bosco in cornerback Joshua Holland.

Four-star Talanoa Ili would have made nine, but the former Orange Lutheran star played his senior season on the islands. After years of battling each other from conference supremacy over the past four seasons, the local products will join forces in Los Angeles.

USC is off to a good start in the conference in the 2027 cycle with Vandermade. Four-star cornerback Aaryn Washington previously suited up at Mater Dei but has since transferred to IMG Academy (Fla.), since announcing his pledge to the Trojans in January.

USC Targets Carson Palmer’s Alma Mater

Trinity League to USC Pipeline

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