USC Trojans Battling Penn State, Wisconsin For 4-Star Running Back Shahn Alston

Four-star running back Shahn Alston is set announce his verbal commitment during the Navy All-American Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 11. Alston will have three hats on the table, the USC Trojans, Penn State Nittany Lions and Wisconsin Badgers. Alston is the No. 13 running back and No. 136 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting cycle, per the On3 Industry Rankings.

The Trojans have been considered the favorite to land the talented running back ever since he visited campus in November to watch USC defeat the Nebraska Cornhuskers 28-20. Alston was part of star-studded recruiting weekend that featured 2025 five-star USC signees quarterback Husan Longstreet and defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart. Five-star 2026 athlete Brandon Arrington was also at the Coliseum that day.

Painesville (OH) Harvey 2026 four-star running back Shahn Alston / X | @shahnalston3

Alston raved about the Trojans recently as his decision day is approaching.

“I liked the overall vibe I got from the school,” Alston told On3. “It’s a great football school and it has a lot of tradition and history… The academics are great too. You get the best of both worlds there. You can play at the highest level of college football and you can get a great education. That’s one of the things that caught my eye and like I said, they compete at the highest level. Yes, their record this season doesn’t show it but if you look at their games, all of their losses besides one was by less than seven points. That could’ve taken them from a 6-6 team to an 11-1 team. That really opened my eyes.”

MORE: Can Pete Carroll Save Chicago Bears' Front Office? Aggressive Head Coach Search

MORE: USC Trojans' Matt Leinart Sounds Off On College Football Playoff Hate

MORE: USC Trojans Revamped Quarterback Room: Jayden Maiava, Husan Longstreet, Sam Huard

Alston also talked about the Trojans Big Ten foe Penn State. The Nittany Lions just had one of their best seasons in program history over the last 40 years. Penn State won a program record 13 games, including its first two College Football Playoff games, before falling to Notre Dame 27-24 in the semifinals.

“My interest in Penn State goes back to coach Ja’Juan Seider and coach Charles Walker the assistant running backs coach. They develop guys. They have a plan and they stick to it. You can see growth from running backs that go to Penn State from their freshman year to their junior or senior year there," Alston told On3.

USC coach Lincoln Riley has been very busy in the running back market as of late. The Trojans signed former New Mexico running back Eli Sanders and the No. 1 ranked JUCO running back Waymond Jordan Jr. via the transfer portal to pair with freshman Bryan Jackson and redshirt freshman A’Marion Peterson. The Trojans also signed two running backs in the 2025 recruiting cycle, four-star Harry Dalton and three-star Riley Wormley.

MORE: USC Trojans Sign Transfer Kevin Longstreet From Texas A&M, QB Husan's Brother

MORE: USC Trojans Coach Lincoln Riley Visits 5-Star Brandon Arrington at Mount Miguel

MORE: USC Trojans Land Transfer Portal Quarterback Sam Huard, Former 5-Star Recruit

MORE: USC Trojans Land Transfer Portal Running Back Waymond Jordan Over Ole Miss