USC Trojans Enter Recruiting Race for Top-Ranked Mississippi Running Back

The USC Trojans are attempting to deliver an early recruiting win for the 2028 class down South.

Four-star running back recruit Zaiden Jernigan is exploding with nearly 25 total offers in tow. But the Trojans and the defending national champions represent his latest four-year opportunities coming his way.

USC Offers Blue Chip Running Back Zaiden Jernigan

USC Trojans King Miller Northwestern Lincoln Riley Preferred Walk-On Big Ten Mac Uihlein Los Angeles Waymond Jordan Wildcats — Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans running back King Miller (30) runs the ball against Northwestern Wildcats linebacker Mac Uihlein (37) during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The running back out of Louisville High in Mississippi, Jernigan is now plastered on USC's 2028 recruiting board, as the recruit announced the offer on his social media pages.

Multiple Trojan coaches helped inform him of his USC opportunity: Coach Lincoln Riley, running backs coach Anthony Jones, plus assistant general manager Dre Brown.

Jones is familiar with the southern region and clearly is working his connections down there. He coached at Memphis and TCU prior to landing with Riley's staff. Jones was also a high school football head coach at Cordova High in Tennessee prior to leading running back rooms at the college level.

But again, USC's offer arrives amid Indiana suddenly making a push for Jernigan. He revealed the defending national champions offered him on Saturday evening, plus less than 24 hours following the Trojans offer. USC could become embroiled in a possible multiple-horse race with the Hoosiers should they aggressively recruit the 5-11, 200-pound talent.

What Makes Zeidan Jernigan an Early National Recruit

USC Trojans Big Ten Lincoln Riley King Miller Waymond Jordan Deshonne Redeaux Shahn Alston Rushing Game — USC running back King Miller | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Jernigan immediately cracked the 2,000-yard scrimmage mark as a freshman on varsity. He showed his mix of track and field speed and versatility out the gate. He even scored 30 combined touchdowns that season in 2024 per 247Sports.

He runs like he's been shot out of a cannon, bursts through the hole, and then hits a second gear that leaves defenders playing catchup.

Jernagin doesn't just rely solely on speed, though, to zip past defenders. He knows when to plant-and-cut when one-on-one with a defender. Then his jets do the rest and eats up the yardage.

USC offered the No. 1 prospect for the state of Mississippi's 2028 class per 247Sports composite. He lands at No. 2 in the Dixie State per ESPN but is first per Rivals Industry rankings.

Notable Powerhouses USC Must Beat

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Missouri State Bears College Football Recruiting Big 12 Kayden Dixon-Wyatt Chad Savage Tanook Hines — Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The trio of Jones, Riley and Brown are smart to prioritize going after Jernigan before his junior season. USC will need to think about the replacement for Waymond Jordan soon. Even returning sophomore King Miller could very easily flirt with entering the NFL Draft's 2028 class with two more dominating campaigns in the land of troy. Shahn Alston and Deshonne Redeaux lead the 2026 class after Jordan/Miller.

Jernagin presents the speed-back versatility option that Riley often covets out of his backfield. Riley historically loves pursuing running and catching backfield threats compared to straight bell cow power runners. But USC faces fierce competition to land Jernagin already, and not just limited to the defending national champs either.

North Carolina, led by past Super Bowl winning coach Bill Belichick, offered him on June 15. Auburn out of the SEC extended an offer back on June 13. South Carolina closed out May by extending its offer to him.

Jernigan more than likely becomes a 40-50 offer prospect. But USC now must keep in tabs with him and ensure he's the Trojans' potential lead back for the next recruiting cycle.

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