USC’s Recruiting Staff Loses Key Member to Big Ten Foe

USC Trojans director of recruiting strategy Skylar Phan is off to Ann Arbor to join the Michigan Wolverines.

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans recruiting staff took a hit with the news that director of recruiting strategy Skylar Phan would be joining the Michigan Wolverines. USC is coming off landing the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in 2026. 

Skylar Phan Leaving USC Trojans For Michigan Wolverines

Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks as he is being introduced on the floor during the first half between Michigan and USC at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After two seasons with USC, Skylar Phan will be off to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Prior to her time with the Trojans, Phan was the director of on-campus recruiting for the Houston Cougars from August of 2022 to March of 2023. The Michigan Inside on 247Sports confirmed the news of Phan’s hiring to the Wolverines front office. 

Michigan hires Skylar Phan, to personnel department. 👀

Potential roles: Overseeing all officials and unofficial visits. 🔥

Formerly:
Director of Recruiting Strategy for USC
Recruiting Assistant for Texas#GoBlue〽️ pic.twitter.com/KkZ16fzttM

— TJ Ronin (@Tj_Ronin) March 3, 2026

Phan played a role in USC building back their recruiting momentum after multiple years of being ranked outside of the top 10 in recruiting classes. The incoming 2026 class has raised the level of excitement and expectations for the team in 2026. 

USC’s 2026 recruiting class is headlined by five-stars such as offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe, edge rusher Luke Wafle, and defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield. It’s still unclear just how much each of these players will play as true freshmen in 2026.

Spring ball for the Trojans is currently underway as the team looks to get ready for their first game on Saturday, Sept. 5 at the Los Angeles Coliseum against the Fresno State Bulldogs. This game will make the start of the fifth season for Coach Lincoln Riley with the Trojans. 

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley, center, runs on to the field for the game against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Through four seasons from 2022-2025, Riley has a record of 35-18 with USC. He has been tasked with the role to get USC back to national relevance, and that’s something USC hasn’t quite been able to do in his tenure, although they have been close. 

USC has yet to make the College Football Playoff or win a conference championship in any of Riley’s first four seasons. Is 2026 the year that will change? The schedule will not be an easy one for USC as they have games against three teams that made it to at least the playoff quarterfinals last season: the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers, Oregon Ducks, and Ohio State Buckeyes. 

All three of those games will be extremely difficult. For USC to make the playoff, they must pick off at least one of them, if not two depending on how things shake out.

Skylar Phan's Next Stop

Nov 28, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham reacts during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Phan’s next stop is with Michigan. The Wolverines like the Trojans went 9-3 in 2025, missing the College Football Playoff. 2026 will look a lot different for Michigan. 

They hired former Utah Utes coach Kyle Whitingham to be the school’s next head coach. As Lincoln Riley and USC fans knows from the days of the Pac-12, Whittingham is an elite coach and one that should have the Wolverines right on the cusp of a playoff appearance sooner rather than later. 

USC and Michigan are not scheduled to play each other in 2026 so the only possible way the two could play would be in either the Big Ten championship game or a playoff game.

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