USC Trojans Michigan, Texas Recruiting No. 1 Hawaii Prospect Malakai Lee

The USC Trojans are off to a hot start for recruiting the class of 2026. Offensive tackle Malakai Lee is the No. 1 player in Hawaii in 2026, and he is beginning to make his final list of top schools.

Lee is the No. 14 offensive tackle and the No. 176 recruit in the nation per 247Sports. The 2026 offensive tackle plans to narrow down his list of schools by the end of January. He has visited a couple of schools, and coaches have gone out to see him. Narrowing down his list early will help him figure out which schools he would like an official visit with.

"We're actually planning to narrow it down at the end of the month after all the coaches have come through," Lee told 247Sports. "But we definitely want to cut things down and make things easy on us."

Lincoln Riley and Sherrone Moore — Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore shakes hands with USC head coach Lincoln Riley after 27-24 win at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Being a Hawaii local, narrowing down schools before an official visit will make it easier for Lee. Lee visited schools last season and will use the next few months to narrow down his final schools.

Among the schools that have picked up steam for the offensive tackle is the USC Trojans. Tennessee, Utah, Texas, and BYU have also visited Lee in the last couple of weeks. Lee also said that Michigan coach Sherrone Moore will be visiting soon, and he is interested in Nebraska as well.

"Coach (Johnny) Nansen from Texas came through on Friday and coach (Zach) Hanson from USC also came by," said Lee.

Lee did get the chance to visit schools throughout the season, including the USC Trojans. Lee attended USC’s game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Though the Trojans lost the match, Lee was able to attend a historic rivalry matchup.

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Lee spoke to 247Sports after the visit, calling it an awesome trip.

"I know there's bad blood between Notre Dame and USC, so the fans from both teams were ready to go. I was just stoked to be there. USC definitely knows how to host a party. The pre game area for recruits was fire. I had a chance to get to know some of the other recruits which was cool," Lee said. "This was my first time in the Coliseum, walking into that stadium, you can feel the energy."

Outside of attending a rivalry game, Lee spoke about USC’s coaches and the rest of the staff, giving them immense credit for how he and his family were treated. USC coaches Lincoln Riley and Josh Henson made sure to make Lee feel welcome.

"The coaches and staff at USC really took great care of us and I can't wait to get back there," Lee said. "I also really enjoyed getting to know coach (Lincoln) Riley and coach (Josh) Henson."

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley — Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC worked hard to impress their recruits that day, hosting pregame festivities and the offensive lineman went bowling and had dinner with Elijah Paige. Lee had the chance to see the campus, meet the coaches, and bond with other recruits.

Lee went into his plan for the decision process and after he commits.

"When I cut the list, it will be to five and then I'll take official visits to five schools," said Lee. "Then we're aiming towards the end of June or July for a decision."

Lee is planning to graduate in December after he commits and enroll that month. This will give him a chance to get to the university quickly and attend the school’s bowl practices. With Lee’s finalists coming out in the coming weeks, USC will be a school to watch for as they continue to build up their class of 2026 recruits.

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