USC Trojans Battling Recruiting Powerhouses for Five-Star Safety

One of the top recruits in California, five-star safety Honor Fa'alave-Johnson is taking notice of the USC Trojans' ability to keep the top in-state talent home. As a result, the highly-touted recruit has been intrigued by what the Trojans have to offer.

Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans made a statement during the 2026 recruiting cycle when over half of their 35-man class were in-state recruits. 20 of their 35 signees hailed from the Golden State, showcasing the Trojans' serious approach to recruiting their backyard.

USC's ability to keep in-state recruits home hasn't gone unnoticed by 2027 prospects, including five-star safety Honor Fa'alave-Johnson. The top recruit from California according to 247Sports' Composite rankings, Fa'alave-Johnson is one of the Trojans' top in-state targets regardless of position. He recently released his top 10 schools, and USC made the cut.

Trojans At The Top

Dec 2, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the first half of the Pac-12 Championship against the Utah Utes at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Adam Gorney of Rivals said that the Trojans still are at the top of Fa'alave-Johnson's recruitment list,

"The five-star released his top list recently but USC still remains the team to beat as the Trojans are a major standout in his recruitment. Staying close to family and friends in San Diego, following in Reggie Bush’s footsteps and the opportunity there might be too much to pass up but Alabama, Texas and now Miami are battling," Gorney said,

Not only do the Trojans have their Southern California pipeline to use as a valuable recruiting tool, but they also signed Fa'alave-Johnson's teammate at Cathedral Catholic in 2026 three-star offensive tackle Chase Deniz.

Fa'alave-Johnson's Recruiting Profile

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

Fa'alave-Johnson has been on the radar for the Trojans for a long time. They were his first-ever program to offer him when they did back in May 2024. Since then, he has been considered a priority recruit for the 2027 cycle and USC has treated him as such.

The California native is listed as the No. 1 safety and No. 16 player in the country according to 247Sports' Composite rankings. A legitimate two-way star that could play on either side of the ball at the next level, Fa'alave-Johnson holds an eye-opening 36 offers.

Rivals' Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Trojans with a 63 percent chance of landing the five-star recruit.

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Recruiting In-State Defensive Backs

Oct 8, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks on the field prior to a game against the Washington State Cougars at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

In the 2026 recruiting cycle, USC made a big swing at a handful on in-state defensive backs and it looks like they are looking to do the same for the 2027 cycle.

The Trojans are in good shape to land two of the best defensive backs in California in four-stars Duvay Williams and Aaryn Washington. Both recruits hold Crystal Ball predictions to USC from the 247Sports Staff Projection.

Williams is the higher ranked of the two recruits. He checks in as the No. 5 cornerback and No. 41 player in the country according to 247Sports' Composite rankings. Washington isn't too far behind as the No. 9 cornerback and No. 83 player in the country.

If the Trojans are able to land the trio of Fa'alave-Johnson, Williams, and Washington, they could be the foundation for one of the best defensive back classes in recent memory for USC.