USC Trojans Make Recruiting Push With Elite Group Of Visitors

The USC Trojans are prepared to host an impressive list of recruits this Saturday when they face crosstown rival UCLA. Southern Cal will have a number of commits from its top-ranked class in this cycle in-attendance and work to make an impression on future classes.

Nov 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The No. 17 USC Trojans will host another star-studded list of recruits this weekend as the take on crosstown rival UCLA. 

This will be the last in-season recruiting weekend for the Trojans and opportunity to make a lasting impression on some future recruiting classes heading into the offseason. 

2026 Recruiting Class Heads to Coliseum

Nov 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

USC is prepared to sign the No. 1 ranked recruiting class when the early signing period begins on Wednesday, Dec. 3. Southern Cal has a total of 35 commitments in the 2026 cycle, second-most in the country, behind North Carolina.

They would be the first non-SEC school to hold that title since 2015, when the Trojans claimed the top-ranked class. It’s a class that has grown close throughout the year and USC will host several of them this weekend. 

Mater Dei (Calif.) five-star tight end Mark Bowman has eliminated any doubt about his commitment status with the Trojans. Bowman has been at every home game this season, outside of USC’s Friday night game against Northwestern earlier this month. 

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Per Rivals, he will be joined by his teammate, four-star defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui, who has been a frequent visitor on campus since flipping his pledge from Oregon in April. USC has one more commit in the 2026 class from the premier high school in four-star linebacker Shaun Scott

Hun School (N.J.) five-star edge Luke Wafle will take in his second game day experience, per Rivals. He was in town to watch the Trojans defeat Iowa on Nov. 15, but this time he will be joined by brother, Dylan Wafle, a 2027 linebacker who recently picked up an offer from USC. 

Notably, Archbishop Hoban (Ohio) five-star cornerback Elbert Hill, Harvey (Ohio) four-star running back Shahn Alston and Lincoln-Way East quarterback (Ill.) four-star quarterback Jonas Willams will make the trip out west, per Rivals.

Hoban’s Elbert Hill IV (1) expresses some frustration after a missed interception attempt against Walsh in an OHSAA Division II regional final, Nov. 21, 2025, at Bearcats Stadium in Bedford, Ohio. | Andrew Dolph / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Making an Impression on 2027 Class 

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 | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

USC has worked to rebuild its recruiting pipelines with Mater Dei in the 2026 class and are looking to carry that momentum into the 2027 class. They will host two high priority targets in four-star cornerbacks Aaryn Washington and Danny Lang. They will be joined by their teammate, three-star IOL Lex Mailangi, per Rivals.

The Trojans have long been considered the favorites for Serra (Calif.) four-star cornerback Duvay Williams, as they work to rebuild their pipeline with the same school that produced some recent USC legends such as receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee and cornerback Adoree Jackson. 

Serra has provided the Trojans some key players over the years and with general manager Chad Bowden working to follow a blueprint from previous USC coaches, Williams is a recruit they can’t let out of the state. 

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

Greenwich County Day (Conn.) four-star edge Mekai Brown makes the cross-country trip. St. John Bosco (Calif.) three-star linebackers Ethan and Justin Coach are two recruits on the Trojans radar that will be at the Coliseum this weekend. USC holds a commitment from their teammate, three-star cornerback Joshua Holland in the 2026 class. They also have two players from the national powerhouse on the roster in Kobe Pepe and Marcelles Williams.

USC does not have any commits in the 2027 cycle as they continue to put the finishing touches of its 2026 class. The 2027 cycle will be much smaller, and they have been very clear about which prospects are high on the priority list.