Georgia Bulldogs Challenging USC For No. 1 Ranked Recruiting Class?

The USC Trojans are having their best recruiting cycle in years, but the Georgia Bulldogs and coach Kirby Smart are building an elite recruiting class of their own. Can USC coach Lincoln Riley and general manager Chad Bowden hold onto the top spot in the rankings.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart during warm ups before the start of the first half of the NCAA playoff Rose Bowl game between Georgia and Oklahoma in Pasadena, CA. Monday, January. 1, 2018. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The USC Trojans have returned to being one of the top recruiting programs in college football.

Led by USC coach Lincoln Riley and general manager Chad Bowden, the Trojans' recruiting class of 2026 is ranked No. 1 by Rivals as of Monday, Aug. 25. With the Early National Signing Period set to begin on Dec. 4, can USC hold onto the top-ranked class when it's all said and done?

USC To Lose No. 1 Recruiting Class?

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. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rivals' Adam Gorney recently wrote 10 bold recruiting predictions before the college football season begins, and one of them entails USC losing the No. 1 spot in the rankings for the class of 2026. Gorney listed the Georgia Bulldogs and coach Kirby Smart as one of the biggest threats to the Trojans.

"There are only four prospects in the Rivas300 that are uncommitted which is an extraordinarily low number as the football season is just starting which could mean one of two things: There won’t be many flips in the coming months leading up to signing day since players are into NIL deals or there could be a ton of changes coming," said Gorney.

"USC suffered a massive amount of de-commitments last cycle as signing day neared and players especially in the Southeast flipped elsewhere. One or two of those this cycle could move them off the top spot," Gorney continued.

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Class of 2026 Recruiting Rankings

USC and Georgia sit atop Rivals' recruiting rankings with programs like the Oregon Ducks, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Texas Longhorns rounding out the top-five. In the class of 2025, USC finished with the No. 15 overall recruiting class, per Rivals.

Most of the Trojans' competitors for the No. 1 recruiting class are consistent contenders in the College Football Playoff. Oregon was the top overall seed in last year's CFP while Notre Dame's season ended with a loss in the National Championship to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman chat before the game at Notre Dame Stadium. | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

USC, on the other hand, has yet to make an appearance in the CFP. During his time coaching the Oklahoma Sooners, Riley made it to the four-team iteration of the CFP three times, but he has yet to win a playoff game.

Here are top-10 recruiting classes for the class of 2026 (per Rivals):

1. USC Trojans
2. Georgia Bulldogs
3. Oregon Ducks
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
5. Texas Longhorns
6. Texas A&M Aggies
7. Alabama Crimson Tide
8. LSU Tigers
9. Ohio State Buckeyes
10. Michigan Wolverines

USC's group of commits is headlined by five-star tight end Mark Bowman and five-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe, the Trojans' two highest-rated commits. However, with Bowden and Riley leading the charge, USC also has one of the biggest recruiting classes in the country.

Part of USC's improvement on the recruiting trail is thanks in part to a focus on keeping California prospects home with the Trojans. Bowman plays for Mater Dei High School, and while Pepe attends IMG Academy in Florida, he is a California native.