Four-Star EDGE Recruit Mekai Brown Commits to USC Trojans Over Ohio State, Notre Dame

Four-star EDGE recruit Mekai Brown committed to the USC Trojans on Friday morning, announcing his decision between a final group of USC, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Ole Miss.

The USC Trojans stay hot on the recruiting trail and landed a top-50 prospect in Brown, and Rivals' Josh Newberg revealed that Brown is a five-star in the latest update to Rivals' recruiting rankings.

"The culture, the people, the development. I just love everything about the program, and there was nowhere else I could see myself at," Brown told Rivals after committing.

usc trojans recruiting mekai brown lincoln riley big ten ohio state buckeyes notre dame fighting irish lincoln riley — Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Mekai Brown Recruiting Profile

According to the current Rivals' Industry rankings, Brown is the No. 50 overall player in the class of 2027, the No. 7-ranked EDGE, and the No. 1 recruit from the state of Connecticut. According to Newberg, Brown is expected to be the No. 3 EDGE in the newest rankings.

Standing at 6-6, 235, Brown's quickness is evident in his highlights. Physical at the point of attack, Brown also has the speed to chase ball carriers to the sideline. He can win battles often with his size and speed alone, and developing a deeper toolkit of pass rush moves could catapult Brown into five-star status.

Still a junior in high school, Brown has one more season with Greenwich Country Day before enrolling at the school of his choice.

However, after taking spring visits to a number of schools, including a trip to USC back in March, Brown was ready to make his decision. The teams that didn't land him will likely continue to recruit such a high-profile target like Brown, but an early commitment suggests he's rather confident in his decision with USC.

With a final group filled with Big Ten and SEC teams, USC was able to pull Brown from the East Coast.

The Trojans beat out recruiting heavyweights like the Texas A&M Aggies, who currently hold the No. 1-ranked class in 2027, and the Ohio State Buckeyes. However, USC has become a recruiting powerhouse of its own under general manager Chad Bowden.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman has had success recruiting all positions, but his defensive background has helped the Fighting Irish land some key prospects in the past, like five-star EDGE Rodney Dunham.

USC Trojans Recruiting Class of 2027

Riley and company now have 11 commits in the class of 2027:

Honor Fa'alave-Johnson, five-star safety
Mekai Brown, four-star EDGE
Quentin Hale, four-star wide receiver
Danny Lang, four-star cornerback
Aaryn Washington, four-star cornerback
Drew Fielder, four-star offensive lineman
Eli Woodard, four-star wide receiver
Javon Vital Jr., three-star running back
Jace Cannon, three-star tight end
Josiah Poyer, three-star linebacker
Isaia Vandermade, three-star defensive lineman

Eight out of the 11 recruits committed to the Trojans play high school football in California, but USC is still casting a national net when it comes to the best prospects in each class.

The Trojans brought in five-star EDGE Luke Wafle from New Jersey and four-star defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield from Texas in the class of 2026, and Brown could be the latest national recruit to join USC's defensive line.

USC is expecting to sign a smaller class in 2027 after signing 35 recruits in the class of 2026, but defensive line is always a priority, especially for a prospect like Brown.

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