USC Trojans New Leaders For 5-Star Recruit Brandon Arrington? Big Priority For No. 1 Ranked Class

Mount Miguel (Calif.) five-star cornerback Brandon Arrington took in his first gameday experience at the Coliseum in mid-November, the same weekend as five-star early enrollee quarterback Husan Longstreet. The two have a good relationship and Longstreet began pushing for Arrington to join him in Los Angeles. Since then, the USC Trojans have been picking up momentum for the highly coveted local prospect.

Arrington is the No. 12 overall prospect, No. 1 cornerback and No. 2 player in the state of California according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Sep 21, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

In an effort to rebuild a fence around Southern California in recruiting, the Trojans have made Arrington a top priority in the 2026 cycle.

“I’ve said over and over again and I mean it, the best high school football in the country is played in California,” said USC general manager Chad Bowden. “That doesn’t mean we’re not going to go elsewhere, but the best football is played in California, especially in Southern California and we’re going to kill it in California as we already have.”

USC coach Lincoln Riley and defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn traveled down to San Diego County to visit Arrington at his school in early January. The five-star athlete was the Trojans first visit when the dead period ended at the beginning of the year. Lynn and defensive backs coach Doug Belk then made an in-home visit in late January.

Arrington was back at USC on March 24 for the Trojans first day of spring practice. The coveted defensive back was impressed by his time on campus and will return on June 17 for his official visit.

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The dynamic two-sport star excels in track and field. Arrington broke the San Diego section all-time record with a wind legal 10.24 in the 100 meters and a wind legal 20.37 in the 200 meters last weekend. He also ran 6.67 the 60-meter dash earlier this year.

Arrington’s overall athleticism will remind Trojans fans of former cornerback Adoree Jackson. The 2016 Jim Thorpe Award winner dominated on the gridiron, making an impact in all three phases, offense, defense and special teams. Jackson also made a name for himself on USC’s track team.

Jackson won the Pac-12 outdoor long jump titles in 2015 and 2016 and placed second in the Pac-12 in the 100 meters in 2016. The two have intersected on multiple occasions. Arrington posted a picture of himself with Jackson in February and then another one last month with him, Jackson and 2025 five-star signee Jahkeem Stewart from his visit back in November.

@AdoreeKnows 👀 pic.twitter.com/QlcCx3a8G9
— Brandon “Dash”Arrington jr 5 🌟 (@brandonjubie2) February 25, 2025

Arrington draws inspiration from former USC running back and Heisman trophy winner Reggie Bush, who is also from San Diego.

The Trojans have been hot on the recruiting trail and hold 19 commitments in their No. 1 ranked recruiting class, including 11 blue-chip recruits, four or five-star prospects. USC has no intentions of slowing down, Bowden has emphasized the Trojans are pushing to sign the most high school recruits in the history of the program

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