USC Five-Star Recruit Honor Fa’alave-Johnson Updates Position Plan with Trojans

San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic five-star athlete Honor Fa’alave-Johnson is one of the crown jewels of USC’s 2027 recruiting class.

The uber-talented Trojans commit has a skillset that flourishes on both sides of the ball. It’s the reason why Fa’alave-Johnson is rated as the No. 1 athlete in the country by every recruiting outlet.

USC Trojans Commit Honor Fa'alave-Johnson Lincoln Riley Chad Bowden Recruiting Class Official Visit Gavin Williams — San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic athlete and USC Trojans commit Honor Fa'alave-Johnson | Kendell Hollowell @Khollowell_

Last season, Falave-Johnson accounted for 30 touchdowns (23 rushing, 7 receiving), more than 2,000 yards of total offense and averaged more than 11 yards per carry. He was clocked running 22.7 MPH on a touchdown run, the fastest max speed time ever recorded in the UC Report, a premier recruiting service and database, and added three interceptions, which earned him first team MaxPreps Junior All-American honors as an All-Purpose player.

A lot of top recruits play on both sides of the ball in high school, but in college it’s an anomaly. However, the Trojans have a plan to maximize Fa’alave-Johnson’s versatile skillset.

“They’re gonna teach me more on defense,” Fa’alave-Johnson said. “They're not gonna teach me the whole playbook (on offense) just because it’ll probably be too much, but they're gonna get me in the rotation. Get me at slot, get me at running back, decoy player. Whatever it might be, I’m just trying to get some reps on offense.”

USC fans will remember former All-American cornerback and 2016 Jim Thorpe Award winner Adoree Jackson. The Trojans utilized the five-star recruit on offense in his three seasons at USC before he became a first round draft pick. Major on defense, minor on offense. Fa’alave-Johnson is expected to follow a similar path.

Shutting Down Recruitment

USC landed a commitment from Fa’alave-Johnson over Oregon and Texas in March. However, that hasn’t stopped those schools and others from continuing to contact Fa’alave-Johnson.

He shutdown his recruitment back in early May after the Trojans sent five staff members down to San Diego to meet with him. Fa’alave-Johnson has been adamant about his pledge with the Trojans over the past couple of months as outside rumors emerge.

“I'm blessed for them reaching out, but I'm happy where I am,” Fa’alave-Johnson.

Southern Cal has continued to recruit Fa’alave-Johnson just as hard after his commitment and one staff member is at the forefront, Aaron Amaama, aka Coach Dogg, the Trojans director of high school recruiting relations. Dogg played a pivotal role in USC signing the No. 1 class in the 2026 cycle and has once again made it mark in the 2027 class.

“He's the guy. I have a good relationship, and he makes it more than football, but family. He really pulled all the pieces together for me,” Fa’alave-Johnson said.

Playing close to home and in front of his friends and family and means something to Fa’alave-Johnson. It was a message he relayed to the Trojans staff during his recruitment.

“That was really my biggest pitch to them,” Fa’alave-Johnson said. “I want to stay in California, play with all of them, so they kind of made it easy for me. And then just the coaching staff, I trust them."

USC put an emphasis on landing elite local talent in the 2026 class. A move that should pay dividends for them in the fall with multiple impact freshman. It has become the new norm for the Trojans as they carried that momentum into the 2027 class.

“Being surrounded by people that you grew up with, or just seeing playing on that youth field, definitely plays a big part," Fa'alave-Johnson said. "You can relate to all the kids over there, all California kids. So it should be fun.”

Recruiting Class in the Secondary

USC Trojans Chad Bowden Recruitment Mater Dei Danny Lang Trovon Reed Aaryn Washington Mark Bowman Spring Practice Visit — Mater Dei (Calif.) 2027 cornerback and USC Trojans commit Danny Lang | USC Trojans on SI

The biggest strength of USC’s 2027 class is the secondary. Four commits that are all from Southern California and top 100 overall prospects according to 247Sports — Fa’alave-Johnson, Damien (Calif.) four-star Gavin Williams, Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star cornerback Danny Lang and IMG Academy (Fla.) four-star cornerback Aaryn “J.O.” Washington, who transferred from Mater Dei earlier this year.

All four went on their official visits together the final weekend of May and during their photo shoot, they came out in all-white unis, an alternate jersey that was used just for official visits.

“Chad Bowden came into the room and was like, ‘Hey, nobody did all the all whites before,’ so we're like we got to do something different," Fa'alave-Johnson said.

The vibe around the program has completely changed in the last year and a half since the arrival of Bowden and a revamped personnel staff. USC coach Lincoln Riley heads into this season having assembled arguably his strongest staff since becoming a head coach almost a decade ago.

The combination of Riley, Bowden and athletic director Jen Cohen has led to a strong culture being built in Los Angeles. And with that, all signs point to USC continuing an upwards trend that will lead to success on the field and reaching new heights in the College Football Playoff era.

“It's special. It's something I want to be a part of, and I can't wait to be a Trojan,” Fa’alave-Johnson.

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