USC Trojans to Host 4-Star Linebacker Recruit Anthony Davis on Official Visit

Grayson (GA) four-star linebacker Anthony Davis will take an official visit with the USC Trojans, he announced on Thursday. The highly coveted recruit will also take official visits with the Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss Rebels, Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide.

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans coaching staff have been frequent visitors in the state of Georgia over the past couple of recruiting cycles. Gainesville (GA) four-star linebacker Xavier Griffin has been committed to USC since July and the Trojans have their eyes set on another highly coveted linebacker from the southeast in the 2026 recruiting cycle, Grayson (GA) four-star Anthony Davis. 

Davis announced on Thursday that he will be taking an official visit with USC, the official date of the visit will be determined at a later time. Several members of the staff stopped by Davis’ high school a couple of weeks ago as they ventured around Georgia, including Trojans coach Lincoln Riley, defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, linebackers coach Rob Ryan and defensive line coach Eric Henderson. 

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

“I was at USC at Penn State and it was a great experience,” Davis told On3. “It was a two-day visit and they went over a lot of things with me. USC has a plan for me, they showed me how I would fit it and it was great.”

Davis is the No. 18 linebacker and No. 240 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings. He will also take official visits to Texas, Auburn, Ole Miss and Alabama. 

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The Trojans have done a great job of putting together extravagant recruiting weekends for top prospects during Riley’s tenure to help sway them to Los Angeles and expect them to do the same for Davis. Depending on what USC is able to do in the spring transfer portal window, they will head into the 2025 season very thin at linebacker, so expect them to make the position a very high priority in the 2026 cycle. 

USC signed four recruits from the Peach State in the 2025 cycle, Gainesville four-star offensive tackle Alex Payne, Greene County three-star safety Stephen Miller, Thomas County Central three-star safety Kendarius Reddick and Douglas County three-star cornerback James Johnson. 

As schools from the south have worked to establish a recruiting footprint in Southern California and continuously poach blue-chip prospects in the Trojans backyard, Riley and his staff are doing the same in SEC country.

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Including Griffin, the Trojans have eight commitments in their No. 2 ranked recruiting class for the 2026 cycle, per the On3 Industry Rankings.

Rancho Cucamonga (CA) four-star cornerback RJ Sermons, Loyola (CA) four-star cornerback Brandon Lockhart, Harvey (OH) four-star running back Shahn Alston, Mount Caramel (IL) four-star defensive lineman Braeden Jones, St. John Bosco (CA) three-star athlete Joshua Holland, and Sierra Canyon (CA) three-star athlete Madden Riordan and three-star receiver Ja’Myron Baker. 

Landing Davis would help the Trojans overtake west coast foe Oregon for the top-ranked spot in 2026. 

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