USC Trojans Make a Statement in Big Ten Recruiting Rankings

USC received big news this weekend when Hamilton (Ariz.) 2028 five-star receiver Roye Oliver III, the MaxPreps Sophomore Player of the Year, announced he would reclassify to the 2027 class.

And then 24 hours later, Oaks Christian (Calif.) four-star defensive lineman Alifeleti Tuihalamaka committed to the Trojans over Oregon, Texas A&M and Cal. USC now holds 13 commitments in the 2027 class, nine of which are blue-chip prospects.

Big Ten Dominates Recruiting

USC Trojans Recruiting Class Rankings Big Ten Ohio State Buckeyes Oregon Ducks UCLA Bruins Danny Lang Mekai Brown Recruit — Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Southern Cal made a big splash in the 2026 cycle when they signed 35 recruits in their No. 1 recruiting class. It was the first time a non-SEC finished with the No. 1 class since 2008.

The Trojans put an emphasis on landing elite prospects in California and re-established themselves as the premier recruiting power in their backyard for the first time in over a decade, while still making plenty of noise for blue-chip out-of-state prospects.

That momentum has carried into the 2027 cycle and USC owns the No. 3 class according to 247Sports, which sits atop the Big Ten recruiting rankings. The first step in building a competitive roster is through high school recruiting and the Trojans are stacking elite classes.

A surging UCLA, who have landed four blue-chip prospects since April 30, is right behind at No. 4, followed by Penn State at No. 5, Ohio State at No. 6 and Oregon at No. 8 to round out the Big Ten teams that hold top ten recruiting classes.

It’s early May and prospects are just starting to take official visits, therefore the rankings will undoubtedly shift over the next several weeks but the Trojans have stamped their mark for the second consecutive cycle.

Outlook of USC’s 2027 Class

With Oliver reclassifying and Tuihalamaka committing over the weekend, USC is very close to wrapping up its class this summer. A class that will have around 15-18 recruits.

San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic five-star athlete Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, who is expected to play on both sides of the ball at the collegiate level and Greenwich County Day (Conn.) five-star edge Mekai Brown are the two crown jewels of the Trojans recruiting class.

Oliver, Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star cornerback Danny Lang, IMG Academy (Fla.) four-star cornerback Aaryn “J.O.” Washington, Corona Centennial (Calif.) four-star receiver Quentin Hale and Servite (Calif.) four-star offensive tackle Drew Fielder are all top 100 overall prospects according to 247Sports. Southern Cal has a total of seven players inside the top 100, the second most in the country behind Texas A&M.

In addition to Oliver and Hale, USC holds commitments Chaparral (Calif.) four-star receiver Eli Woodard and San Mateo (Calif.) Serra three-star tight end Jace Cannon. They are done recruiting pass-catchers after landing those four recruits.

Santa Margarita (Calif.) three-star defensive lineman Isaia Vandermade and St. John Bosco (Calif.) three-star linebacker Josiah Poyer strengthen the program's pipeline with the Trinity League. And Hamilton Christian Academy (La.) three-star running back Javon Vital would mark the third consecutive year the Trojans have signed a recruit from Louisiana.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google