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USC's Recruiting Class Slipping in Updated Rankings

The USC Trojans have the No. 13 ranked 2027 recruiting class and have fallen to No. 4 in the Big Ten.
Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

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The USC Trojans 2027 recruiting class is slowly slipping down the class rankings list. 

USC's 2027 Recruiting Class Ranking Slipping

usc trojans lincoln riley recruiting class rankings big ten conference commitments five star recruit 2027 college football
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 | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

USC now has the No. 13 ranked 2027 recruiting class in the country according to Rivals. This is a drop off from when it was ranked comfortably in the top 10 just a matter of months ago. Furthermore, USC’s class now ranks No. 4 in the Big Ten conference behind the Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Michigan Wolverines. 

The Trojans 2027 class is at 14 commits with nine of these commits being rated as either four of five stars. The most recent commitment USC has received came from three-star linebacker Dylan Wafle in the middle of June, about a month ago. Dylan Wafle is the younger brother of USC defensive end Luke Wafle.

Luke Wafle was USC's top rated 2026 recruit. He was a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 5 overall recruit in the country. Despite just being a true freshman when the 2026 season kicks off, Luke Wafle seems poised to be able to make an immediate impact for the Trojans defense.

usc trojans lincoln riley recruiting class rankings big ten conference commitments five star recruit 2027 college football
Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before an NCAA football game with the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Back to the current class, USC's top two commits in 2027 are five-star recruits: athlete Honor Fa’alave-Johnson and edge rusher Mekai Brown. 

Fa’alave-Johnson is a 6-0, 180 pound athlete out of San Diego, California. He is ranked as the No. 1 athlete and the No. 12 overall prospect in the 2027 class per Rivals. Fa’alave-Johnson has been committed to USC since March of 2026. 

usc trojans lincoln riley recruiting class rankings big ten conference commitments five star recruit 2027 college football
Jan 2, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley on the field before the game against the Tulane Green Wave in the 2023 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Brown is a 6-6, 235 pound edge rusher out of Greenwich, Connecticut. He is ranked as the No. 6 edge rusher and the No. 27 overall prospect in the 2027 class per Rivals. Brown has been committed to USC since April of 2026. 

While being ranked as the No. 13 class in the country is a solid spot to be for USC, it doesn’t compare to where they were ranked in the previous recruiting cycle. 

USC’s 2026 recruiting class was ranked No. 1 in the country, with 35 total commits and 22 of them being rated as either four or five star recruits. The 2027 class looks like it will fall short of that, although there is still months down the road until national signing day. 

usc trojans lincoln riley recruiting class rankings big ten conference commitments five star recruit 2027 college football
Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) and head coach Lincoln Riley react after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2027 class is trending towards being ranked near where USC’s 2025 and 2024 classes were. In 2025, Rivals ranked USC as having the No. 15 overall class in the country. The 2024 class was ranked No. 18 in the country. Both the 2025 and 2024 classes were ranked No. 5 in the Big Ten.

On the field, USC is still seeking their first ever appearance in a College Football Playoff. 2026 will be coach Lincoln Riley's fifth with the Trojans. USC has an overall record of 35-18 under Riley. Will this season finally be the breakthrough they've been waiting for? USC's first game is on Aug. 29 at home against the San Jose State Spartans.

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Cory Pappas
CORY PAPPAS

Cory Pappas is sports writer for USC Trojans On SI and Oregon Ducks On SI. Since starting in March of 2024, he has been writing breaking news stories, game previews, game recaps, and more across College Sports, the NFL, MLB, NBA, and Olympics for Total Apex Sports. In addition to writing, Cory is also a sports data scout for Sportradar. He covers live sporting events ranging from college athletics to semi-pro and professional. Before joining the industry, Cory graduated from the University of Oregon in 2022. He ran track for Oregon's club Track and Field team. Before Oregon, he played varsity basketball and track and field in high school in Walnut Creek, CA. Cory is using his lifelong passion for sports and writing together.

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