Why 4-Star Recruit Luke Wafle Committed To USC Trojans Over Ohio State

The USC Trojans were one of the five finalists for class of 2026 edge rusher recruit Luke Wafle. Wafle announced this commitment to USC over the Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, Texas Longhorns, and Florida Gators.

Wafle thanked his family, coaches and God before revealing his commitment.

"The hard work is starting to pay off but obviously the journey is not done," Wafle said on the On3 live stream. "With that being said, for the next 3-4 years, I'm committing to the University of Southern California."

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley holds the championship trophy after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

🚨BREAKING🚨 Elite EDGE Luke Wafle has committed to USC✌️

He ranks No. 14 NATL. (No. 4 EDGE) in the 2026 On300.

More from @SWiltfong_: https://t.co/DO07cUCpNX pic.twitter.com/YDJu3pmc5A
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 19, 2025

Why was USC the best fit?

"We built a very strong relationship. Coach Nua, Coach Henderson, Coach Riley, Coach Lynn. They made this recruitment process pretty easy on me and it's an easy choice for me," Waffle said.

"We are trending for the National Championship," Wafle continued.

Wafle's Recruiting Process

Ohio State Football coach Ryan Day gestures during an April 7, 2025 news conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. | Doral Chenoweth/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Luke Wafle is a 6-5, 245 pound edge rusher out of Princeton, New Jersey. Wafle is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 6 edge rusher in the class of 2026 per 247Sports Composite.

The race for Luke Wafle was a tight battle. The two teams that appeared to be the front-runners were Ohio State and USC, while Penn State, Texas, and Florida were still in the mix.

Steve Wiltfong of On3 released his latest update on Wafle’s recruitment on Thursday morning, after some back and forth, Wafle is predicted to commit to the Trojans.

Wiltfong said that Wafle planned to announce his commitment to USC following his visit there this past weekend. However, the Buckeyes boosted their NIL offer, giving themselves a much better chance to land him.

On Wednesday, Wiltfong had logged his expert prediction of Wafle to Ohio State. It appears the race is very tight for his commitment.

“USC has not thrown in the towel. On3 is hearing the Trojans offer went significantly up, and there is confidence again around the Trojans program the blue-chipper ends with them,” Wiltfong said. “Sources are indicating Wafle is tracking to be the next prospect to have a dead of at least a million dollars per year.”

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Lincoln Riley, USC Trojans Land 30th Class of 2026 Commit

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans have now landed 30 commits in the class of 2026. According to both On3 and 247Sports, USC has the No. 1 ranked recruiting class for 2026.

Now with three edge rushers currently committed to USC's recruiting class, Wafle is the highest-rated edge rusher to commit to the program. Four-star Braeden Jones and three-star Andrew Williams are apart of the Trojans class currently. The Trojans recruiting class features 19 four-star recruits and one five-star.

USC Trojans general manager Chad Bowden has been instrumental in the recent surge of commits.

“It’s wild in college because there’s so many things that are going on in these kids' lives that you’re a part of every single day that we have to make sure that when it comes to building a culture the right way and building a program the right way that we look at every single thing. Because there’s so much in college that’s going on,” Bowden said in an interview with QB Collective.

Now Bowden, Riley and the Trojans will add another feather in their cap in regards to Wafle.