USC Trojans Surging Over Big Ten Rival For Five-Star Recruit Honor Fa'alave-Johnson

The USC Trojans have been surging in the recruitment of five-star athlete Honor Fa'alave-Johnson. An in-state priority recruit for the Trojans, Fa'alave-Johnson is also hearing from the Oregon Ducks as they look to pull him out of California.

Dec 2, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the first half of the Pac-12 Championship against the Utah Utes at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans continue their search for their first commitment of the 2027 recruiting class. It's not without effort as the Trojans have been active on the recruiting trail.

One of their top priority recruits in the cycle, five-star athlete Honor Fa'alave-Johnson, has been seeing his recruitment begin to intensify as the offseason draws nearer for high school recruits. Oregon has been making a serious push for Fa'alave-Johnson, but USC is looking to keep the in-state recruit home.

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Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley celebrates after kicker Ryon Sayeri (48) hit a 54-yard field goal in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Adam Gorney of Rivals reported that USC has moved into the driver's seat for Fa'alave-Johnson's commitment despite Oregon's persistence.

"USC now looks like the frontrunner in his recruitment. Oregon remains one to watch but it would now be a surprise to see the San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic leave the region even though he’s a top national recruit. The Trojans have to like their position with Fa’alave-Johnson, a true two-way standout, and USC is now the team to beat for him," Gorney said.

It's been a back-and-forth battle all season long as both programs vied for Fa'alave-Johnson's pledge. And for good reason. He is ranked as the No. 1 safety and No. 16 player in the country according to 247Sports' Composite rankings.

Interestingly enough, the Trojans are the favorites to land Fa'alave-Johnson according to Rivals' Recruiting Prediction Machine as they are given a 63 percent to land him. The Ducks aren't too far behind with a 34 percent chance of landing him.

USC's In-State Recruiting

Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks on the field before a game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Ever since the arrival of general manager Chad Bowden at the beginning of the year, the Trojans have made a concerted effort to land the top in-state prospects. Fa'alave-Johnson isn't any different considering he's ranked as the No. 1 player in California.

During the 2026 recruiting cycle, Bowden's first with USC, the Trojans have 19 in-state commitments. In the 2026 class, USC's highest-rated in-state commit is five-star tight end Mark Bowman. He is ranked as the No. 3 player in the state according to 247Sports' Composite Rankings.

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Who Else Is On The Trojans' Radar

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

The success that USC has had when it comes to in-state recruiting hasn't gone unnoticed. The Trojans are in the mix for a few of the top prospects in California in addition to Fa'alave-Johnson.

Four-star defensive back Duvay Williams has been considered to be a Trojan lean for quite some time. Gorney said that USC's coaching staff has made Williams feel like a top priority.

"Williams has outstanding relationships with the Trojans coaching staff, they’re looking for defensive backs in the 2027 class and he’s been told they want to start with his pledge and then he can help recruit others to USC," Gorney said.

One of USC's other in-state defensive back targets, four-star safety Khalil Terry, recently took himself off the market when he committed to Notre Dame on Nov. 12.