USC Trojans Battling SEC Schools For Five-Star Quarterback Recruit

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley has had success recruiting the class of 2026, but the Trojans their sights now set on one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 class. Can the Trojans land five-star quarterback Peyton Houston?

Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans currently boast the top recruiting class in the country for the 2026 season in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. USC coach Lincoln Riley aims to build a quality team that will aim to achieve winning seasons in the future. With 32 total commits in their 2026 class, the Trojans are already looking ahead to the 2027 recruiting class.

As a football program, USC has always been known for landing some of the nation's top recruits, and a potential quarterback commitment could put the Trojans at an advantage entering the 2027 season.

Latest on Five Star QB Target for USC

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC is one of the top favorites to land 2027 five-star quarterback recruit Peyton Houston from Evangel Christian Academy from Shreveport, Louisiana. The Trojans have made it known to Houston that he is their top target for the 2027 class.

Houston has made several visits to USC and was recently on campus in June for a workout with some of the Trojans' top prospects. In his sophomore season with Evangel Christian Academy, Houston threw for 4,480 passing yards, 38 touchdown passes, and six interceptions.

He is also a talented runner, which could be beneficial to a future USC offense. Houston rushed for 690 yards and seven touchdowns on 6.6 yards per carry.

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Oklahoma, Texas, LSU, and several others are actively recruiting Houston, but as of now, USC is the favorite to land him.

Four of the nine top quarterbacks for the 2027 class have already committed before their junior high school season, leaving Houston as the best available quarterback remaining.

USC's Recent Commitments Strengthen 2026 Class

Nov 26, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman meets with Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley following the game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Trojans recently landed two commitments to the nation's top 2026 recruiting class. Four-star offensive lineman Breck Kolojay commited to USC along with four-star wide receiver Bobbie Feaster.

USC may look to add to its 2026 class, but Riley's main focus has been on the 2027 recruiting cycle. Behind USC in the top five of the 2026 recruiting team rankings include Georgia (No. 2), Oregon (No. 3), Notre Dame (No. 4), and Texas (No. 5).

USC finished with multiple top recruiting classes in the mid-2000s, with its last No. 1 ranking coming in 2006.

Lincoln Riley Enters 2025 season Under Extreme Pressure

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Entering the 2025 season, Riley is under pressure from the Trojans fanbase to lead USC to a succsessful season after finishing the Trojans finished 2024 with a 7-6 record and going 4-5 in their first year as a memeber of the Big Ten Conference.

Riley has compiled a 26-14 coaching record with the Trojans, but back-to-back disappointing seasons have Trojans fans wanting USC to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2025, regardless of how good future recruiting is. While top recruitng classes can lead to team sucsess, it sometimes isn't always the case.