Why USC Trojans' Eric Henderson, Doug Belk Are Best Recruiters In College Football

The USC Trojans have two of the best recruiters in the country in defensive line coach Eric Henderson and secondary coach Doug Belk. Both coaches have helped establish the Trojans' dominance in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

Oct 21, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Utah Utes in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans have serious momentum on the recruiting front. Currently, the Trojans have the No. 1 2026 recruiting class in the country according to 247Sports.

A big piece of the Trojans' success on the recruiting trail is in part to defensive line coach Eric Henderson and secondary coach Doug Belk. Their efforts haven't gone unnoticed as 247Sports has Belk listed as the No. 1 recruiter in the country with Henderson right behind him at No. 2.

Dec 2, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Utah Utes during the second half in the PAC-12 Football Championship at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

247Sports has credited Belk as the lead recruiter of four commits in the Trojans' 2026 class. Belk helped USC reel in four-star defensive backs RJ Sermons and Brandon Lockhart, as well as three-stars Joshua Holland and Madden Riordan.

Belk has also played a big part in USC's recruitment of five-star defensive back Brandon Arrington.

It's obvious to see why players want to play for Belk. His ability to quickly develop players in-season was commended by USC defensive back Jaylin Smith.

“It was great, I felt like it was a revival to my career as far as getting production around the football," Smith said. "It was great as far as coach Lynn and coach Belk coming in and just seeing my abilities and tailoring to it, helping me utilize my strengths and to the best of my abilities."

Henderson was considered the lead recruiter of five commits in USC's class, including their top commit in five-star defensive lineman Xavier Griffin. He has helped reel in some of the most recent commits for the Trojans such as four-stars Simote Katoanga and Jaimeon Winfield. In total, Henderson has reeled in three four-star defensive lineman and one three-star on top of Griffin.

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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

Henderson has been the key recruiter for numerous USC targets, including four-star Dylan Berymon. The Louisiana native told On3 that Henderson has been the driving force behind his recruitment.

“USC is coming on strong,” Berymon told On3. “I have been out there twice and they are definitely one of my top schools. I love USC. Coach Henny and more keep me interested in the Trojans."

If Berymon ends up siding with the Trojans, it could boost Henderson over Belk in the rankings, but only time will tell if USC can get it done with the four-star prospect.

One of the biggest strengths of Henderson has been his ability to recruit nationally. Out of the five commits he has credited, only two of them are in-state prospects. Henderson went deep into the South and reeled in Griffin from Georgia and Winfield from Texas.

There's a long way until Early Signing Day in the winter, but If USC is able to close out the recruiting cycle with the No. 1 class, Belk and Henderson will be a major reason for that.

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