USC Making Final Recruiting Push to Flip Five-Star LSU Commit

The USC Trojans are making a late recruiting push to flip LSU Tigers five-star defensive lineman Richard Anderson, with Texas also in the race as National Signing Day approaches.

Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

With the Early Signing Period less than 10 days away, the USC Trojans are preparing one last full-force swing at one of the biggest recruiting prizes in the 2026 class. Five-star defensive lineman Richard Anderson, the No. 1 interior defender in the country and a Top-25 prospect in the Rivals300, is set to potentially make his way to Los Angeles this weekend for an official visit that could shape the top of USC’s recruiting board.

Anderson, a New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr standout, has been committed to the LSU Tigers since June. But with a coaching change in Baton Rouge and multiple contenders sensing an opportunity down the stretch, the nation’s top defensive lineman has reopened the door just wide enough for the Trojans and they’re trying to break it open.

USC Sees a Rare Opportunity to Add a True Program-Shifter

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

The Trojans have already assembled one of the most promising 2026 foundations in the country. Their class is headlined by five-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe, and adding Anderson would give USC something it hasn’t had in a few years: multiple five-star blue-chips in the same class.

That distinction currently belongs to recruiting heavyweights such as Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, Notre Dame, Texas, Michigan and Tennessee. Landing Anderson places USC in that tier and simultaneously knocks LSU out of it.

The significance isn’t subtle. Anderson isn’t just a highly ranked recruit, he’s a roster-altering player who fits every modern requirement of a Big Ten defensive anchor. The 6-foot-4, 335-pounder earned 5A All-State honors in 2024 after producing a stat line that made evaluators take notice: 44 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 18 hurries, two interceptions and a touchdown.

Interior players with that kind of production at the high school level are extremely rare. USC knows this. And that’s why this weekend’s visit has become one of the most important moments of the Trojans’ early recruiting cycle.

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LSU Still Leads, But Texas Is Closing Fast

Nov 15, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Despite the late movement, LSU remains in pole position, per Rivals. Anderson is making an unofficial return trip to Baton Rouge on Wednesday, his final in-person check-in before the decision window arrives. Rivals reports that the Tigers still feel confident in holding onto their longtime commit.

However, Texas is the most serious challenger outside of USC. Anderson was in Austin last weekend for an official visit, and On3 and Rivals insiders have both indicated that the Longhorns have momentum. According to Rivals’ Sami Spiegelman, Texas is also “willing to make a competitive NIL offer” to stay in the fight. USC is now positioned to be the third and final program to take its swing.

Why USC’s Weekend Pitch Matters

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

Lincoln Riley’s staff understands the stakes. The Trojans have improved their defensive front through the transfer portal and selective high school recruiting, but a true five-star centerpiece changes the entire arc of the rebuild. This is the exact type of prospect that allows USC to compete physically with Big Ten powers and control line-of-scrimmage matchups that decide championships.

The Trojans are also selling an immediate pathway to playing time, a history of developing NFL trench talent, the Los Angeles market, and a program vision headlined by Pepe and a rising 2026 offensive nucleus. Anderson would be the signature addition to a stacked defensive class that already includes commits like four-star cornerback Ethan Feaster and four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili. And the timing of the visit matters. With Signing Day set for December 3, USC gets the last word before Anderson makes his final call.

A flip here would do more than elevate USC’s 2026 class. It would signal something bigger: USC can close elite national recruitments in direct battles with LSU and Texas. It would reshape defensive expectations entering the Big Ten era. And it would give Riley the kind of trench cornerstone the program has lacked for a decade. LSU leads. Texas lurks. But the Trojans get their shot this weekend. And for a player of Anderson’s caliber, sometimes the last visit is the one that changes everything.