This Prediction for 5-Star Recruit Honor Fa’alave-Johnson Will Excite USC Fans

The USC Trojans are in the running for class of 2027 recruit, athlete Honor Fa’alave-Johnson. Adam Gorney of Rivals revealed his expert prediction for where he thinks Fa’alave-Johnson will end up.

Fa’alave-Johnson Predicted to Go to USC

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Honor Fa’alave-Johnson Class of 2027 Recruit Five Star Commitment Oregon Ducks California Rankings — Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley (center) walks on the field before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Adam Gorney made his mid-February prediction for Fa’alave-Johnson. He has the five-star athlete going to the Trojans over the Miami Hurricanes, Texas Longhorns, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and LSU Tigers.

“USC, Oregon, Miami, Texas, Notre Dame, and LSU round out a big-time top six…but this still feels very much like a two-team race between the Trojans and the Ducks,” Gorney said. “Oregon was the very early favorite but once the Trojans got heavily involved they shot right to the top and continue to be the team setting the pace in his recruitment.”

Honor Fa’alave-Johnson is a 6-1, 190 pound two-way player out of San Diego, California. He is rated as a five-star recruit per 247Sports Composite and ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the state of California. The Trojans will try to keep the running back/defensive back in his home state for his collegiate career. It won't be an easy task for the Trojans to fend off the Ducks, as Oregon has not had an issue recruiting elite talent from the Southern California area in recent years.

In 12 games played as a junior for Cathedral Catholic High School in the 2025-26 season, Fa’alave-Johnson had 128 carries for 1,265 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. He also added 35 receptions for 564 yards and seven receiving touchdowns.

That's not the only side of the ball that Fa’alave-Johnson contributed on. He also was on defense as a defensive back. Fa’alave-Johnson had 38 total tackles, four passes defended, two interceptions, one tackle for loss, and one fumble recovery.

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USC’s Recruiting Classes

USC 2026 recruiting class is ranked No. 1 in the country and they will look to keep that momentum going when it comes to their 2027 class. The Trojans 2026 class consists of 35 players including a handful of five-stars: offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe, defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield, and edge rusher Luke Wafle.

This class is a big improvement compared to the last two under USC coach Lincoln Riley. USC's 2025 recruiting class was ranked No. 15 per On3. The 2024 class was ranked No. 18. This combined with USC going 8-5 in 2023 and 7-6 in 2024 gave reason for fans to have serious doubt about Riley being the right coach to bring USC to the next level as a program.

In 2025, USC went 9-4. Combining this with bringing in the top ranked recruiting class gives reason for optimism moving forward. 2026 will be a massive year for Riley, who is now entering his fifth season as USC coach. Will he be able to get USC to take a step further and make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

USC will kick off their 2026 season against the Fresno State Bulldogs at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, Sept. 5. The Trojans will have a grueling Big Ten conference schedule as they will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks, and defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers. All three of those teams made it to at least the playoff quarterfinal this past season.