USC Trojans Recruits Make an Impression at Orange Country Passing League Tournament

Multiple USC Trojan commits made noise at a passing league tournament in Orange County over the weekend.

Tustin (Calif.) 2028 four-star receiver Hayden Koo | Kendell Hollowell @Khollowell_

Edison (Calif.) high school in Huntington Beach hosted the annual Battle at the Beach 7v7 tournament, which featured 20 high schools in Southern California. 

Three USC commits in their 2027 class and several key targets in the 2028 class were in action over the weekend. 

2027 USC Commits in Action 

San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic athlete and USC Trojans commit Honor Fa'alave-Johnson | Kendell Hollowell @Khollowell_

San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic five-star Honor Fa’alave-Johnson and USC commit was arguably the best player on any field this past weekend. He’s rated as the No. 1 athlete in the country and proved why. 

Leaving Fa’alave-Johnson one-on-one was mismatch. He was virtually unguardable playing wide receiver in a matchup against national powerhouse St. John Bosco (Calif.), where he caught two touchdowns. He was extremely quick off the line of scrimmage and ran precise routes. 

Fa’alave-Johnson is a do-it-all player for his high school. He played out wide and in the slot in the tournament and this fall, the five-star recruit will continue to play running back. Defensively, Fa’alave-Johnson lined up at cornerback but will play safety when he heads to Southern Cal. He snagged a one-handed interception against Millikan (Calif.). 

Fa’alave-Johnson and Bosco three-star linebacker and USC commit Josiah Poyer had some friendly trash talk in their matchup. Poyer was a key fixture in his team winning the tournament. He’s a fluid and natural mover in coverage. 

Corona Centennial (Calif.) four-star receiver Quentin Hale showed why he’s one of the top pass-catchers in the 2027 class when he fought through a hands to the face to rise up to make a spinning catch and get two feet in bounds for a touchdown against Palos Verdes (Calif.). A catch that would have counted on Sundays. He displayed strong hands and elite body control. 

Two of the most impressive things about Hale’s route running is his release package at the line of scrimmage and ability to change direction at 6-foot-3 and 192 pounds. 

2028 USC Targets in Action 

Tustin (Calif.) 2028 four-star receiver Hayden Koo | Kendell Hollowell @Khollowell_

Palos Verdes four-star safety Jalen Flowers shined on both sides of the ball in a matchup against Centennial. He arguably had the best catch of the day with a one-handed snag for a touchdown. 

On defense, he moved around, which included matching up against Hale at cornerback. The two battled it out on multiple reps. Hale’s touchdown came against Flowers but the 2028 recruit picked off a pass while defending the USC commit. Flowers is a tremendous athlete with his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame. 

Tustin (Calif.) four-star receiver Hayden Koo continues to shine this summer. In a matchup against Bosco, not even double teams could slow down Koo. He’s incredibly quick and a fluid route runner that mixed between playing out wide and in the slot. Koo has seen his recruitment skyrocket the past several months and if he continues to showcase what he's done this offseason into the fall, expect it to continue taking it off.

Mission Viejo (Calif.) four-star cornerback Jordan Hicks said earlier this year he wants to be a versatile player for his team and that’s what he did over the weekend. Hicks switched off between playing corner and safety, but primary played the latter while facing Oaks Christian (Calif.). 

2028 Mission Viejo (Calif.) four-star defensive back Jordan Hicks | 2028 Mission Viejo (Calif.) four-star defensive back Jordan Hicks

Most schools are recruiting Hicks as a corner but his versatility is a big reason why his recruiting profile has taken off this offseason. 

Santa Margarita (Calif.) four-star cornerback Ca’ron “Prime” Williams matched up against Long Beach Poly (Calif.) 2027 five-star cornerback and Miami commit Donte Wright, who was also playing receiver and did not allow a catch in the final game of pool play. Poly stayed away from Williams’ side. Three-star running back Jaion Smith shined at linebacker for Santa Margarita.

Centennial three-star running back Malaki Davis is another recruit that is high on USC's board that was in action.

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