Three USC Trojans Commits Ranked as Top Recruit in Respective States

The USC Trojans' national reach is on display with the top-ranked recruit in three states committing to USC.

San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic athlete and USC Trojans commit Honor Fa'alave-Johnson | Kendell Hollowell @Khollowell_

USC’s 2027 class won’t turn heads or generate headlines the same way the 2026 class did in terms of its ranking according to different recruiting outlets. 

It doesn’t necessarily mean the program has lost momentum on the trail, the plan has always been to sign a significantly smaller class than they did a year ago. The Trojans have just 14 commitments in the 2027 cycle heading into the fall. 

Key Commits in 2027 Class

San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic athlete and USC Trojans commit Honor Fa'alave-Johnson | Kendell Hollowell @Khollowell_

Still, it’s a class that is littered with elite talent. MaxPreps ranked the top player in every state entering the 2026 high school football season and three USC commits were featured on the list, five-star athlete Honor Fa’alave-Johnson (California), five-star edge Mekai Brown and four-star receiver Roye Oliver III (Arizona). 

Fa’alave-Johnson is an extraordinary talent. The San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic product stars on both sides of the ball and will continue to fulfill that role at Southern Cal to a degree. 

The focus on Fa’alave-Johnson will be at safety but because of his vast skillset, however, the Trojans will utilize him on offense in a limited role at slot receiver or running back. USC and West Coast fans will remember former Trojans Jim Thorpe Award winning cornerback Adoree Jackson, who also had a small role on offense in his three seasons. Fa'alave-Johnson is set to follow a similar path.

Brown marked the second consecutive cycle USC landed a premier five-star edge rusher from the East Coast, joining New Jersey native Luke Wafle, when announced his pledge in April over offers from Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Ohio State. 

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Brown has prototypical size and will continue to fill out in the USC strength and conditioning program. He has elite length and plays with a high motor. Brown has a good combination of quickness, power and bend coming off the edge. 

Oliver put up jaw-dropping numbers last fall, reeling in 92 receptions for 1,839 yards and a state-record 29 receiving touchdowns. He was named the 2025 MaxPreps Sophomore of the Year and earned first team All-American honors alongside USC freshmen receivers Trent Mosley and Boobie Feaster. 

The expectation when Oliver became the Trojans first commit in the 2028 class in March was that he would eventually reclassify. Oliver made it official in May and will pair with four-star receiver and top 50 recruit Quentin Hale. Before he reclassified, Oliver was rated as a five-star recruit. 

Overview of 2027 Class 

USC Trojans general manager Chad Bowden hired from Notre Dame Fighting Irish | USC Trojans Video Youtube

In their second season under general manager Chad Bowden and a revamped personnel and coaching staff, USC has remained aggressive on the trail, making their mark with in-state recruiting and landing elite out-of-state prospects. 

Of their 14 commitments, they have four ranked inside the top 50 overall prospects and eight in the top 100 according to 247Sports. The Trojans are not done with the 2027 class but the number of commits they take will still be much lower than the 34 signees they had in the 2026 cycle.

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