USC's Updated Recruiting Class Ranking Signals Program's Upward Trend

The USC Trojans recruiting for 2027 is off to a good start. USC is currently ranked No. 5 in Rivals most recent 2027 team recruiting rankings. The only Big Ten team ranked above them are the Ohio State Buckeyes.

USC’s 2027 Class Ranked No. 5

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Class of 2027 recruiting class rankings commit five-star recruit jayden maiava big ten ohio state — Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins interim coach Tim Skipper (left) shakes hands with Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley after the game at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Here are the top five teams in Rivals Recruiting class rankings for 2027.

1. Texas A&M Aggies
2. Texas Tech Red Raiders
3. Oklahoma Sooners
4. Ohio State Buckeyes
5. USC Trojans

Updated Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings📈https://t.co/pT5tmMCdqN pic.twitter.com/qk1T1BmWzl
— Rivals (@Rivals) April 15, 2026

As of now, USC has received the commitments from 10 class of 2027 recruits. Here are the 10.

Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, Five-Star Athlete
Quentin Hale, Four-Star Wide Receiver
Danny Lang, Four-Star Wide Receiver
Aaron Washington, Four-Star Cornerback
Drew Fielder, Four-Star Offensive Tackle
Eli Woodward, Four-Star Wide Receiver
Jason Vital Jr., Three-Star Running Back
Jace Cannon, Three-Star Tight End
Josiah Poyer, Three-Star Linebacker
Isaiah Vandermade, Three-Star Defensive Lineman

The team a top this early recruiting ranking is Texas A&M and for good reason. The Aggies have already landed the commitments from multiple five-star recruits: edge rusher Byron Forstall and safety Kamari Dorsey.

USC’s Upward Recruiting Trend

Over the past two recruiting cycles, USC has continued to trend in the right direction. The 2026 class was coach Lincoln Riley’s best class since taking the job at USC prior to the 2022 season and by a wide margin. The Trojans’ 2026 class consisted of 35 commits and four five-star recruits: edge rusher Luke Wafle, tight end Mark Bowman, offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe, and defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield.

Rivals ranked this class No. 1 in the country, a major step up from the two previous years. USC’s 2025 class was ranked No. 15 and their 2024 class was ranked No. 18. The combination of their recruiting classes not sniffing the top 10 and the team’s performance not being up to the standard of a program like USC was a cause for concern about the future of the program.

In 2024, USC finished the regular season with a record of 6-6 in Riley’s third season as coach and failed to land a top 10 recruiting class. USC needed a bounce back season in 2025. They ended up taking a step forward, finishing the 2025 regular season with a 9-3 record coupled with locking up the top ranked 2026 recruiting class.

As the 2026 season approaches, there is an expectation for USC to take another step forward and make it to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. Riley is back in Los Angeles for his fifth season at the helm. There will not be any quarterback questions entering the season as their starting quarterback from last season, Jayden Maiava, is back with the Trojans for another season.

An issue that has seemed to plague Riley’s teams in the past, the defensive side of ball, got a big-time hire with defensive coordinator Gary Patterson. Patterson is most known for his two decade long run with the TCU Horned Frogs as their head coach from 2000-2021.

Will the combination of landing the top ranked 2026 recruiting class, getting Maiava back for another season, and bringing in Patterson be enough for Riley to get this team to the playoff in 2026?

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