USC Fans Will Love 4-Star Recruit Aaryn Washington’s Bold Proclamation

The USC Trojans landed its first commitment for the next cycle in Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star cornerback Aaryn Washington, who quickly made a bold proclamation about his future in Los Angeles.

Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans landed a big commitment over the weekend from Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star cornerback Aaryn Washington. 

The No. 51 overall recruit and No. 8 cornerback, per the 247Sports Rankings in the 2027 class, chose USC over offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Nebraska, and Washington. He announced his pledge at the Navy All-American and immediately made a bold proclamation about the Trojans future.

Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Washington was asked on the broadcast about what he sees in his future at USC and he responded, “Natty, that’s all I got to say.”

The local product is the Trojans first commitment in the 2027 cycle, after they signed the No. 1 class in the 2026 cycle. 

Building a Fence Around Southern California 

There was an emphasis in the 2026 class to keep elite Southern California prospects in Southern California. For years, USC had lost out on several recruiting battles or they just weren’t in the picture at all for highly touted prospects in their backyard.

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

However, all of that changed in this past recruiting cycle under general manager Chad Bowden, who made it very clear from the start they were replicating the recruiting blueprint laid out by legendary coach Pete Carroll, who won seven consecutive conference championships, back-to-back national championships and six BCS bowl games in the early 2000s. 

The formula is simple, build a fence around the state in recruiting and sign out of state players you believe can become early draft picks. 

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Steve Sarkisian was able to follow the model in his brief stint at USC in the mid 2010s. The roster Sarkisian constructed for Clay Helton was filled with Southern California recruits that would win the Rose Bowl in 2016 and appear in a New Year’s Six Bowl the following year.

A majority of the Trojans signees from Southern California in the 2026 class grew up USC fans. They played with and against each other in youth football and high school. Their parents were around for the glory days and have seen firsthand the success the program has when they consistently land top prospects in the area.  

“A lot of us grew up watching USC, maybe struggle a little, and the idea that they been instilling into us that we’re the fix,” said USC safety signee Madden Riordan. “We’re the class to turn it around it brings a lot of excitement.

“The ability to play with each other and bring USC back is a great opportunity you can’t pass."

That is being carried over into the 2027 cycle and Williams became the first commit to kickstart things. If USC wants to reach the upper tier of college football, they have continue recruiting at the highest level and keep stacking elite classes. And that starts with prospects such as Williams in their backyard. 

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

It’s natural to assume Washington will push for other top prospects to join him Los Angeles, in an effort to make his national championship statement a reality, otherwise he wouldn’t have been the first in the 2027 class to announce his pledge.

The Trojans want to build a roster primarily through high school recruiting and not be reliant on the transfer portal. And they have shown that with their limited activity in the portal.

USC still has a long way to go before they are considered national championship contenders. For starters, making their first College Football Playoff or Big Ten Championship Game would be a great start. Southern Cal has changed their fortunes in recruiting and landed top talent. Now, its time for results to be seen on the field.