USC Trojans Commit Madden Riordan Earns Major College Football Achievement

The USC Trojans' 2026 recruiting class is full of talent. Trojans' defensive back commit Madden Riordan is one of the true rising prospects in the class of 2026 and after a junior season that saw him named as the LA Times Defensive Back of The Year.
The postseason honors continue to roll in for Riordan as he was named to High School On SI's 2024 Football All-America Team.
Sports Illustrated All-America team 🙏🏽🙏🏽 @GregBiggins @BrandonHuffman @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ https://t.co/1anIvaAfNt
— Madden Riordan (@maddenriordy) January 21, 2025
The junior defensive back from Sierra Canyon recorded 10 interceptions, including three in one game in their season opener vs. Punahou. The interception mark was tied for 26th in the country according to MaxPreps. Riordan added 14 pass deflections and 43 tackles on the year as well.
It's easy to see why Riordan was selected to the All-American team. He was able to line it up against some of the best receivers in Southern California and picked up an interception against both Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, the top two teams in the state. Interestingly enough, former USC commit Riley Pettijohn and former USC top target Madden Faraimo were also named to the team as well.
Riordan is currently ranked as the No. 24 corner in the country according to 247Sports rankings. Greg Biggins of 247Sports wrote that Riordan's next-level game speed makes him a national recruit.
One of those players who plays fast, 1-2 steps ahead of everyone because of his instincts, how he reads the game and his feel for the position. Good tackler in space, not a banger but gets guys to the ground. Tough kid, plays hard and always brings a high compete level to the field...projects as a high Power 4 prospect and a national recruit," Biggins wrote.
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Tyler Atkinson of Grayson (GA), Jackson Cantwell of Nixa (MO) and Faizon Brandon of Grimsley (NC) headline the 60 players selected to the 2024 MaxPreps Junior All-America Team. 🏈
— MaxPreps (@MaxPreps) January 8, 2025
A complete look at the best juniors in high school football from the 2024 season ⬇️… pic.twitter.com/3Vcp014JHk
It's not the only All-America team Riordan was selected to. He was also named to MaxPreps Junior All-American team earlier in the month.
Barring any de-commitments, Riordan is set to be apart of USC's stellar defensive back group in their 2026 recruiting class featuring four players from Southern California. The Trojans hold commitments from two four-star defensive backs in RJ Sermons and Brandon Lockhart.
Sermons is currently ranked as the No. 4 corner in the country and Lockhart is not too far behind him as the No. 8 corner in the country.
In addition to Riordan, USC also holds a commitment from fellow three-star athlete Joshua Holland. He ranks as the No. 27 athlete in the class, but the Trojans recruited Holland as a defensive back for the next level.
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