Texas Longhorns Pushing to Flip USC Trojans Linebacker Recruit

One recruiting insider revealed that the Texas Longhorns are trying to pluck away a key USC Trojans commit.

Southern California coach Lincoln Riley looks for answers against Oregon during the second half touchdown Nov. 22, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The USC Trojans had already heard rumors of Oregon and Texas attempting to flip five-star athlete recruit Honor Fa'alave-Johnson.

The Cathedral Catholic of San Diego talent squashed those rumors on July 9, though. He's all in on sticking with his Trojans commitment.

However, one recruiting insider revealed that the Longhorns are still lurking around California for another key member of the 2027 recruiting class.

Who Texas is Targeting on USC's 2027 Class

Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) and head coach Lincoln Riley react after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

National recruiting analyst for On3/Rivals Adam Gorney dropped new recruiting intel ahead of the weekend of July 10, including who Texas is also targeting in USC's 2027 recruiting class.

Gorney revealed "Texas is not going down without a huge fight" for three-star linebacker Josiah Poyer, who verbally committed to USC back on March 29.

"According to a source, inside linebackers coach Johnny Nansen – who has considerable West ties – is making a serious run at Poyer with his NIL checkbook coming in hot," Gorney wrote in his in-depth report.

Nansen indeed has extensive roots in California and the West region in general. He once coached at USC during the 2014 and 2015 seasons when Steve Sarkisian was head coach. UCLA also emerged as a coaching stop for Nansen under former coach Chip Kelly during the early 2020s.

The veteran linebackers coach has recruited from Poyer's St. John Bosco before, along with other neighboring powerhouse prep programs.

Difficulty of Flipping USC Commits Arises

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers running back Devin Mockobee (45) fights to get past USC Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II (23) during the second quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nansen and Texas earn a stout reputation for winning over recruits, especially in the Golden State.

The Longhorns successfully flipped five-star edge rusher Richard Wesley from Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth during the last recruiting cycle. Texas won over Wesley's teammate, four-star defensive lineman Kasi Currie, in June to help fill the 2027 recruiting class.

Poyer would give Texas and Nansen a long-awaited inside linebacker pledge for the Longhorns' 2027 class, even with its No. 5 ranking per On3/Rivals and No. 4 rating on 247Sports.

While Gorney shared how Texas "is definitely trying" to flip Poyer, this won't be easy on the Longhorns' end.

USC has only lost two prominent recruits in the era of general manager Chad Bowden: five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin and 2027 four-star wide receiver Eli Woodard. USC created a new front office that helps handle NIL and landing recruits.

And among the aggressive tactics USC turns to now? The Trojans have a strict "no visit" policy once a recruit commits to USC. This approach will make it hard for Texas to get Poyer on the Austin campus, while USC will also build a large net to prevent the linebacker from drifting off.

Importance of Keeping Josiah Poyer at USC

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Jerome Baker (17) hangs on as USC Trojans wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (6) tries to strip the ball from Baker after he recovered a fumble during the second quarter of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the USC Trojans on Friday, December 29, 2017 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. [Joshua A. Bickel/Dispatch] Osu17usc Jb 25 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Coach Lincoln Riley once got blasted by fans and even alums for his struggles in keeping local talent home on the recruiting trail. Bowden arrived via longtime USC rival Notre Dame to rearrange the fortunes there.

USC has rebuilt relationships with Trinity League powers, along with Poyer's St. John Bosco, including sending multiple coaches to attend the school's college showcase featuring Poyer in May.

So far, the Chapparal High of Temecula receiver Woodard is the lone prominent local loss for USC. Woodard's agents, however, wanted him to take visits to other schools, which violated the "no visit" rule.

USC appears to want to maintain a strong relationship with Bosco, hence why Texas flipping Poyer will take extra work on the Longhorns' end. Poyer could be joining Johnson as the second commit to squash any decommit rumors.

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