USC Trojans Recruiting Target Austin Miller Commits to Big Ten Rival

The USC Trojans missed out on a future recruiting target with wide receiver Austin Miller committing to Ohio State.

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

USC’s focus on in-state talent is here to stay as the coaching staff begins the building blocks of the 2028 and 2029 recruiting cycle. While the Trojans are in the mix for local quarterbacks and defensive talent, they suffered an early blow on offense as one of their top recruits committed to Big Ten opponent Ohio State.

2029 wide receiver recruit Austin Miller was a highly sought-after rising sophomore with a total of 20 offers, including Big Ten programs such as Michigan, UCLA, Oregon and Washington. Southern Cal originally offered Miller back in January while OSU sent their offer in May. In the end, it was the Buckeyes that came out victorious. 

Dec 29, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Nick Bosa (97) applies pressure in the second quarter against Southern California Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (12) in the 2017 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

"What separated Ohio State from everybody else was that it matched up to everything I thought it would be," Miller told High School On SI. "I always wanted to go to Ohio State. I just needed to see it up close and personal."

Following his hard commitment on June 22, Miller shut down his recruitment.

Austin Miller: Sophomore Athlete, Bellflower (Calif.)

Miller exploded onto the scene at Bellflower High School (Calif.) where he started in all 13 games as a freshman. The 6-5, 200 pound offensive athlete recorded 85 carries for 883 rushing yards, 35 receptions for 609 receiving yards, 81 yards on punt returns and a total of 21 touchdowns, per MaxPreps. Although Miller had more production on the ground, he will be committing to OSU as a wide receiver.

Despite his young age, Miller shows confidence in 50-50 balls and is the one to come down with the reception almost every time. He may lack blazing speed but his smooth, long strides and footwork allow him to shake off cornerbacks at the line. Miller shows excellent body control when it comes to sideline grabs or back-shoulder passes in red zone situations. 

His reps at running back have made him fearless to contact as he’s willing to come across the middle as a wideout. Miller also knows when to slide down after the catch to avoid unnecessary contact. At the next level he’ll more than likely be an outside, down-field threat.

The Buckeyes’ commit is currently unranked but that will change if he can put together another spectacular season.

Current Outlook on USC’s 2029 Recruiting

Allen (Texas) 2029 quarterback Ty Snell and USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley | Photo Courtesy of Ty Snell

After holding back on quarterback prospects in the 2026 and 2027 cycle, Lincoln Riley and the Trojan staff will begin the search for their next signal caller in 2028 and 2029. Recently USC hosted 2029 quarterback Thaddeus Breaux and 2028 five-star quarterback Donald Tabron II for workouts. 2029 quarterback Ty Snell also made his way to Southern Cal for an invite-only prospect camp on June 10.

The Trojans are also in a recruiting battle for local talent in Kingston Fatu. The 2029 safety from St. John Bosco is also sought after by Ole Miss, Syracuse, Arizona State, Miami and OSU.

Legacy recruits such as Paisios Polamalu and Chauncey Washington II are already linked to USC in the really-early stages of the recruiting process. USC is also an early favorite to land 2029 defensive back Antonio Glasby Jr.  

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