USC Trojans Commit Tomuhini Topui Shuts Down Recruitment, Cancels Remaining Visits

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley got some good news over the weekend when four-star defensive lineman commit Tomuhini Topui announced his decision to shut down his recruitment and cancel all remaining recruiting trips.

Sep 3, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the second half against the Rice Owls at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Around a similar time in 2024, the USC Trojans held commitments from two five-star defensive lineman in the 2025 recruiting class. The Trojans had one of the best recruiting classes in the country heading into the summer, but they weren't able to hold onto Isaiah Gibson or Justus Terry. Neither player fully shut down their recruitment despite pledging to USC early in the process, long before the Early National Signing Period in December.

This offseason, USC coach Lincoln Riley has made a dedicated effort to improving things on the recruiting front. The effort was fully visualized when four-star defensive lineman commit Tomuhini Topui announced his decision to fully shut down his recruitment this past weekend.

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

The No. 13 defensive lineman and No. 100 player in the country according to 247Sports, Topui told On3 about his intentions to shut down his recruitment.

“I’m staying home, there’s no other place to be," Topui said.

It's a big statement for the Trojans, not only in terms of Topui's recruitment, but the state of recruiting for the program itself. USC scored a huge recruiting win when they managed to flip Topui away from the Oregon Ducks. And now with the California native electing to forego any visits to other schools, it all but affirms the Trojans' work to turning around the program.

Greg Biggins of 247Sports said that Topui's size and strength allow him to play anywhere in the country.

"A two-way lineman who could end up on either side. . . can consistently take on double teams, hold his ground and still get a push. Shows off nice combination of power and quickness and plays nasty. Is a naturally strong kid. . . he’s an easy national recruit who has the talent to play for anyone in the country," Biggins wrote.

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Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Trojans' 2026 recruiting class as the chance to be one of the best in program history. Riley and USC have reeled in some of the best recruits in the country on both sides of the ball.

USC arguably has the best defensive recruiting class in the 2026 cycle. Including Topui, the Trojans have reeled in five defensive lineman in the class with three of them checking in as four-star prospects according to 247Sports.

In the secondary, USC has four defensive backs committed. USC secondary coach Doug Belk helped bring in four-stars Brandon Lockhart and RJ Sermons into the fold early, allowing the Trojans to build from a strong foundation of recruits.

The top five commits in the Trojans' 2026 recruiting class land on the defenisve side of the ball. USC's highest ranked offensive commit is four-star running back Deshonne Redeaux. The California native is the No. 5 running back and No. 94 player in the class. He is one of two running back pledges alongside four-star Shaun Alston.