USC's Biggest Winners After Trojans Sign Historic Recruiting Class

The USC Trojans signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for the 2026 cycle. It's a big win for the Trojans, who had yet to crack a top five class under coach Lincoln Riley. Here are three winners from the Trojans' historic 2026 class.

Oct 1, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley applauds after a touchdown in the first half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans signed a historic recruiting class under Lincoln Riley in the 2026 cycle. It's the No. 1 class in the country according to 247Sports rankings, the first time a non-SEC school has signed the No. 1 class in over 15 years. It's also the highest ranked class Riley has signed during his tenure at USC.

Here are the biggest winners from the Trojans' 2026 top-ranked recruiting class.

Secondary Coach Doug Belk

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

USC secondary coach Doug Belk had a major part in the Trojans' push to sign one of the top defensive back classes in the country. USC brought in six defensive back signees,

What is interesting about the Trojans' defensive back class is where they all came from. Belk and the Trojans' coaching staff didn't have to go far to find a majority of the class.

A common theme throughout the Trojans' 2026 recruiting class, out of the six defensive backs USC signed, four of them hailed from Southern California.

However, their top-ranked signee is four-star cornerback Elbert Hill, who is an Ohio native. Hill was one of the top targets for Belk in the cycle and the Trojans were able to land him over a tough battle with in-state Ohio State.

Tight Ends Coach Chad Savage

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

One of the newest additions to the coaching staff, tight ends coach Chad Savage came over from Colorado State this past offseason. He came to USC as a known stellar recruiter, especially in the Southern California area, and he delivered for the Trojans on the recruiting trail this year.

Savage currently ranks as the No. 8 recruiter in the country according to 247Sports' rankings. He is credited with securing five prospects' commitments. The biggest of them being five-star tight end Mark Bowman, who is one of the top tight end prospects in recent memory.

Another big recruit Savage was able to bring in was Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, a four-star wide receiver who flipped from Ohio State to USC prior to signing during the Early Signing Day. Dixon-Wyatt is ranked as the No. 6 wide receiver and No. 47 player in the country according to 247Sports' rankings.

One of the most underrated signees in the Trojans' 2026 class is four-star wide receiver Trent Mosley, another recruit who Savage helped reeled in.

MORE: USC Signees Reveal How Chad Bowden Has Changed Everything At USC

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Trojans Coach Lincoln Riley

Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

It's an easy pick to list Riley, but he really did hit it out of the park during this recruiting cycle. Riley made all the right hires during the offseason like general manager Chad Bowden and Savage among others.

After seeing multiple Group of 5 teams make the College Football Playoff as well as Indiana and Texas Tech, the clock is beginning to tick for Riley to make the CFP. But after signing the top class in the country, it's safe to say that Riley bought himself some job security for at least the next few seasons barring a catastrophe.