USC Trojans Land Commitment From 4-Star Running Back Shahn Alston Over Penn State

Class of 2026 four-star running back Shahn Alston has announced his commitment to the USC Trojans. Alston is the No. 5 running back from the class of 2026 and will now be joining Lincoln Riley's team.

Painesville (OH) Harvey 2026 four-star running back Shahn Alston / X / @shahnalston3

The USC Trojans have been heavily pursuing four-star running back Shahn Alston. Alston’s decision has been long awaited, but on Jan. 11 at the Navy All-American Bowl, he announced he is committing to the USC Trojans.

USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans have the No. 2 ranked class of 2026. Alston is already making the recruiting class stronger this early in the process. Per the On3 Industry Rankings, Alston is the No. 136 recruit in the nation, the No. 13 running back, and the No. 5 player from Ohio. 

Despite Penn State and Wisconsin being frontrunners, USC shot up as the favorites in the past couple of months. On3’s Chad Simmons and Steve Wiltfong predicted the Trojans as the landing spot for the four-star recruit.

Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Woody Marks (4) is tackled by LSU Tigers linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. (7) during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

“USC made a very strong impression on Alston when he was on campus in November,” Simmons wrote. “The Trojans are picking up some steam in his recruitment. Alston is a four-star out of Painesville (Ohio) Harvey. Penn State and Wisconsin have also been schools high on his list.”

The Trojans have remained in his top three schools since he visited in November. Alston was there when USC defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 28-20. USC running back Woody Marks rushed for 146 yards, averaging 7.7 yards per carry that game. The visit boosted USC into the top three, and now he is set to be a Trojan in 2026. 

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“It was the best I’ve been on yet. I already had high interest in USC, but this trip put them over the top. I’d say USC is a front-runner in my recruitment along with Penn State and Wisconsin,” Alston told On3 after he visited with USC. “The meetings I had were definitely the biggest highlight. I built great connections and learned a lot. The campus tour was also great. I got a good feeling for the campus and could see myself living there. Lastly, the game was great. I loved seeing the running backs get after it.”

Ahead of the Navy All-American Bowl, Alston spoke about the difficulty of making the decision, but that he had his mind made up.

“This decision has been really tough because I’m big on relationships and I have relationships with all three of these teams,” Alston said. “All of these teams contacted me early on. These three teams probably contacted me earlier than all of the other Power Four schools that offered me."

2026 Four-Star running back Shahn Alston / @Shahnalston3 / X / @Shahnalston3 / X

The USC Trojans have been the frontrunner to land the elite running back. Alston sat at a table with three hats of his top schools before announcing his decision by putting the USC cap on.

Alston is joining an elite group of commitments from the class of 2026. He is the first four-star offensive player to commit in the recruiting class. The other four-star commitments are linebacker Xavier Griffin, defensive lineman Braeden Jones, and cornerbacks RJ Sermons and Brandon Lockhart. USC has earned commitments from three-star athletes Madden Riordan and Joshua Holland and three-star wide receiver Ja’Myron Baker.

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