USC Trojans Building Momentum After Massive Recruiting Week

USC wrapped up spring practice this past weekend, and for the 2027 class it was the final opportunity for recruits to get an up-close look at the program in a practice environment ahead of official visit season.

With the early signing period taking place the first week of December, most recruits aim to make a decision before the start of their senior year. And then for underclassmen, it was their last chance before they start to organize gameday visits for the fall.

Making Major Moves in the 2027 Class

USC Trojans Recruiting Class Marcus Fakatou Spring Practice Official Visit Gavin Williams Jordan Hicks Zion Anderson — Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Trojans were finally able to get Sierra Canyon (Calif.) five-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou on campus Friday, April 3. After multiple cancellations this calendar year, Fakatou pulled up just before practice began. He spent an extended period of time around the program and ended with a trip to the Coliseum at sunset.

USC five-star athlete commit Honor Fa’alave-Johnson was on the same visit as Fakatou. Aaron Amaama, aka Coach Dogg, is heavily involved in his recruitment and he has been a vital member of the Trojans front office that has led to a recruiting surge over the last year and a half. The Trojans still may not be anywhere near Fakatou's favorites but according to WeAreSC’s Scott Schrader, he is expected to make a return trip at some point. USC has no intentions of slowing down their pursuit of the coveted prospect.

Southern Cal is done recruiting at cornerback for the 2027 class, holding commitments from Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star Danny Lang and IMG Academy (Fla.) four-star Aaryn “J.O.” Washington. In addition to Fa’alave-Johnson, the Trojans are pursuing another safety. One being Damien (Calif.) four-star safety Gavin Williams, who returned for the second time this spring and was at USC well into the afternoon. A return visit was huge considering Notre Dame and Washington are making a strong push. Williams does have an official visit schedule with USC.

Westlake (Calif.) four-star tight end Charles Davis returned for the third time this spring as the Trojans battle several other Big Ten schools. A name to keep an eye on as one of the next dominos to fall is San Mateo (Calif.) Serra three-star tight end Jace Cannon. Valor Christian (Colo.) three-star IOL Reis Russell had a two-day visit at the end of last week and have moved up his list heading into official visit season.

“It definitely did. Before this visit I talk with a lot of the staff and I knew they were great people but to finally be able to get on campus and see how they do things was special to me,” Russell said. “It made me a lot more interested in this university because before I had already heard great things but you don’t truly feel it until you get on campus.”

Building Momentum with 2028 Recruits

The Trojans have longed been considered the early favorites for Santa Margarita (Calif.) four-star cornerback Ca’ron “Prime” Williams. He and his teammate, four-star linebacker Allen “Cinco” Kennett V both made return visits last week.

Southern Cal is picking up momentum for Mission Viejo (Calif.) four-star cornerback Jordan Hicks after his second visit last week. Hicks knows a number of freshmen that are from the area very well. During his most recent visit, he spoke with players such as tight end Mark Bowman, and cornerbacks Brandon Lockhart and Jayden Crowder. Hicks has a strong relationship with cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed and defensive coordinator Gary Patterson made a strong impression.

“What doesn’t make me want me to come back,”Hicks said. “It’s a good vibe up there, a great feeling whenever I come back, it’s automatically love. As soon as I get there it’s lot of energy in the morning. I see all the corners warming up. Said whats up to T-Reed and all my guys on the team that were practicing. A very welcoming environment, it’s a great place for sure.”

Simi Valley (Calif.) four-star cornerback Micah Hannah is a legacy at USC. His father, Travis Hannah, was a receiver for the Trojans in the early 1990s but he was also an All-American sprinter. Schools like Arizona and Cal are heavily involved as Hannah has expressed a desire to stay close to home. And like Hicks, he has a strong relationship with Reed.

“He’s more on the younger side which I like,” Hannah said. “I feel like I can relate with him. Good role model. I was in the corner meeting and just the way he coaches and relates the kids really plays a big part. I think he’s a big factor.”

This past Friday marked Providence (N.C.) five-star defensive lineman Cory Cunningham’s first ever trip to California. He attended practice and got tour of campus, both of which made a lasting impression. Cunningham is from across the county but has a strong interest in returning in the future. Landing highly touted defensive lineman from a couple of time zones away is nothing new for USC.

“A lot of people, a lot of traffic. But overall, I still love it because it's how I dreamed it's gonna be with the palm trees and stuff like that,” Cunningham said.

Corona Centennial (Calif.) three-star running back Malaki Davis got his first extended look at the program after attending multiple gamedays in the fall. His teammate, four-star receiver Quentin Hale, is one of the prized recruits in the Trojans 2027 class.

“It was pretty nice seeing everybody staying at home,” Davis said. “You don’t have to go out of state to be something. You can stay at home because USC is that big school. It’s cool seeing the four and five-stars going to USC, so you know they going to do something this year.”

Long Beach Poly (Calif.) four-star athlete Zion Anderson visited USC for the second consecutive week. His uncle, former Trojans receiver and Poly head coach Travon Patterson, joined him on his recent trip. Anderson was able to continue building his relationship with inside receivers/tight ends coach Chad Savage.

“I feel like we’re getting closer more and more," Anderson said. "I plan on visiting a lot more so that we can continue to build that relationship more.”

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