Local Recruits Taking Notice of California Programs Competing for Commitments

It’s well known that some states produce elite high school prospects at a much high rate every cycle, and regardless of where they fall in the pecking order, California is one of them.

Some massive changes are happening in the recruiting landscape with the state of California. Three programs, USC, UCLA and Cal, have made drastic changes to their programs, and top prospects in the state have begun to take a second look at the opportunity to play closer to home but also get an education from one of the premier institutions in the country.

USC Continues to Make Waves in California

USC Trojans Bob Chesney Cal Golden Bears Lincoln Riley Chad Bowden UCLA Bruins Tosh Lupui Charles Davis Jace Cannon — Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC landed a commitment from San Mateo (Calif.) three-star tight end Jace Cannon on Saturday. The Trojans zeroed in on the Northern California product and hosted him twice during spring practice.

After making waves on the recruiting trail with local recruits in the 2026 cycle, USC is doing the same in the 2027 cycle. Of their 10 commitments, nine are from California. Four-star cornerback commit Aaryn “J.O.” Washington is playing his senior year at IMG Academy (Fla.), after previously suiting up for Mater Dei (Calif.) the previous three seasons.

San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic five-star Honor Fa’alave-Johnson is the No. 1 rated athlete and player in California. The Trojans had been pursuing Fa’alave-Johnson since he was in eighth grade and landed a commitment from the two-way star last month over schools such as Oregon, Texas and Alabama.

After losing out on recruits to the Ducks for the years, USC erased that narrative in the 2026 class and have started to make it a norm. They landed Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star cornerback Danny Lang over their West Coast rivals last month after hosting him four times in a week-span at the start of spring practice.

Servite (Calif.) four-star offensive tackle Drew Fielder committed to Oregon in early February but an offer from his hometown school in late February gave him something to think about. Fielder’s grandfather and uncle won a national championship with the Trojans in the 1960s and his father is also an alum. The Orange County native visited campus three times for spring practice in March and flipped his commitment.

USC battled Notre Dame for St. John Bosco (Calif.) three-star linebacker Josiah Poyer and strengthened their pipeline with the Trinity League conference. Corona Centennial (Calif.) four-star receiver and top 50 recruit Quentin Hale and Chaparral (Calif.) four-star receiver and top 200 recruit Eli Woodard are two more blue-chip local prospects that chose to stay home.

Other California Schools Changing Recruiting Landscape

UCLA and Cal hired new coaches and recruits have noticed some major changes to those two California programs since the turn of the new year.

The Bruins hired former James Madison coach Bob Chesney, who led the Duke’s to a berth in the College Football Playoff last season, while Cal hired former Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi. Both coaches have come in and immediately changed the temperature of their respective programs and in the early stages of their tenures, recruits from multiple classes have flocked to their campuses.

Westlake (Calif.) four-star tight end Charles Davis saw his recruitment skyrocket this spring but chose to commit to Cal on Friday over Oregon and UCLA. Santa Margarita (Calif.) four-star safety Pole Moala committed to UCLA over Michigan, Ole Miss and others on Sunday. And it's very likely they are just the start for the 2027 class.

The days of outside programs coming into the Golden State and plucking whichever recruits they decide with very little resistance is long gone. Of course, the most important part is winning on the field in the fall, but all three programs are taking the necessary steps to make it happen.

It will certainly create some intense in-state recruiting battles for years to come.

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