USC Trojans, Oregon Ducks in Heated Recruiting Battles for California Prospects, No. 1 Class

The USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks have been engaged in several heating recruiting battles for premier talent in California for the better part of a decade and the 2026 cycle is no different. USC and Oregon are both pushing for the No. 1 recruiting class.

Nov 11, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley, left, and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning talk before a game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks are both off to a great start in the early stages of the 2026 recruiting cycle as they compete for the top-ranked recruiting class. USC holds the No. 1 spot according to 247Sports and Rivals, while Oregon leads the Trojans by a tenth of a point for the No. 1 spot according to the On3 Industry Rankings. 

The Ducks have been successful for the better part of a decade at grabbing blue-chip recruits from Southern California, and in many years at a better rate than USC. However, in the 2026 cycle, with new general manager Chad Bowden leading the Trojans recruiting efforts, the two west coast foes are in engaged in a number of recruiting battles for the same prospects in USC’s backyard that can ultimately determine who finishes with the top-ranked class. 

Nov 11, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley, left, and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning talk before a game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Now, USC and new GM Chad Bowden are making a push to keep the best talent of California, in California.

“We’re going to do everything through the city,” Bowden said. “We’re going to do everything through the state. That’s going to be our primary focus. Now, it doesn’t mean we’re not going to dip into other states because you have to... Something that we’ve found is back when national championships were won here, when Rose Bowls were won here, you look at Pete Carroll’s classes - 02, 03, 04 - over 80 percent of recruiting classes were from the state of California."

Taking a page from Carroll's book, the Trojans are battling the Ducks for the top talent in the 2026 recruiting class.

Folsom (Calif.) five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons was once virtually considered a lock to commit to USC, but with the highly coveted signal-caller deciding to take more time in his recruitment, the Ducks have entered the mix. Lyons will take an official visit with both schools before making a decision in the summer. 

Mount Miguel (Calif.) five-star cornerback Brandon Arrington, Sierra Canyon (Calif.) five-star cornerback Havon Finney and Oaks Christian (Calif.) four-star cornerback Davon Benjamin have USC and Oregon strongly in the running. Arrington has official visits locked in with both schools in back-to-back weekend’s starting June. 13. Coach Lincoln Riley and defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn visited Arrington at his school in early January and then Lynn and defensive backs coach Doug Belk made an in-home visit in late January. 

“What excites me is that they showed me love and showed the priority they have for me and they been showing love since day one,” Arrington told On3. 

MORE: Why 4-Star Quarterback Jonas Williams Committed To USC Trojans Over Oregon Ducks

MORE: USC Trojans General Manager Chad Bowden Using Pete Carroll’s Recruiting Strategy

MORE: 5-Star Quarterback Ryder Lyons Wearing USC Trojans Gear At Recruiting Camp

Finney recently reclassified from the 2027 class to the 2026 class, so his recruitment is starting to speed up. Finney is teammates with two USC commits, three-star athlete Madden Riordan and three-star receiver Ja’Myron Baker. 

Benjamin will take an unofficial visit USC on this week, On3 recently flipped their prediction for Benjamin from USC to Oregon. The Big Ten rivals are both pushing to load up on defensive backs in the 2026 cycle. They are also making a strong push for Benjamin’s teammate, four-star running back Deshonne Redeaux. 

Running back Deshonne Redeaux finds an opening during the first quarter of Oaks Christian's 35-0 Marmonte League win over St. Bonaventure Friday night at Redell Field. / JOE LUMAYA/SPECIAL TO THE STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Orange Lutheran (Calif.) four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili is high on the two schools' priority list. The highly coveted Orange County linebacker visited both schools for Junior Day and left impressed by what the two Big Ten schools have to offer. Santa Margarita (Calif.) four-star edge and USC commit Simote Katoanga has been pushing for his Trinity League rival to join him in Los Angeles. 

The Ducks have two commits from the prestigious Mater Dei (Calif.) high school in four-star defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui and four-star offensive tackle Kodi Greene. Topui remains locked in with Oregon, but he was on campus in February for the Trojans Junior Day event. USC will continue to be a factor in his recruitment. Greene is expected to take an unofficial visit with USC this week, according to On3. 

Other notable Mater Dei prospects that have the USC and Oregon in the running include four-star tight end Mark Bowman and four-star receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. Bowman and Dixon-Wyatt have scheduled official visits with the two schools in June. Five-star receiver and Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr. will also take an official visit with USC and Oregon in June. 

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