USC Trojans Take Shots at Rivals After Landing Four-Star Recruit Mekai Brown

Are there any drawbacks of the USC Trojans trolling rivals after big recruiting wins?

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman chat before the game at Notre Dame Stadium. | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans recently landed four-star edge recruit Mekai Brown over Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Ohio State, and the Trojans were once again vocal on social media after adding a key member to their recruiting class of 2027.

After landing Brown's commitment over Notre Dame, the USC Football account on X (@uscfb) had some fun with the Fighting Irish, posting a video that mirrors a previous message from Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman.

Head coach Marcus Freeman during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USC continues taking shots after winning recruiting battles.

The Trojans are firing shots at Notre Dame with a remake of Notre Dame's 'Think Big' video and a voiceover from Chad Bowden saying "Think Bigger." USC also takes digs at ND, Oregon and UCLA with license plate messages. https://t.co/D0nxZh4az7 pic.twitter.com/pxdxE8JxMS

— Matt Freeman (@mattfreeman05_) April 17, 2026

As noted by Notre Dame insider Matt Freeman, USC's video takes direct shots at Notre Dame and the Oregon Ducks with an Oregon license plate reading "ZERO NAT" as well as an Indiana licenese plate that reads "WK ZRO."

The Trojans are referencing the scheduling disagreement between USC and Notre Dame, specifically the fact that the Fighting Irish reportedly declined USC's proposal to play the historic rivaly in week zero.

As for Oregon, the Trojans' are clearly poking fun at the Ducks' lack of national championships.

Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley (right) and defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart (4) pose with fans after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Potential Drawbacks of USC Trojans' Trolling?

The Trojans lost to Oregon and Notre Dame during the regular season, but USC's wins on the recruiting trail are continually proving how dominant the Trojans have been recruiting both West Coast and national prospects under general manager Chad Bowden.

The biggest question becomes if USC can back it up on the field.

Thanks to the scheduling disagreement between USC and Notre Dame, the Trojans and the Fighting Irish won't play in 2026. The only chance for either Notre Dame or USC to make a statement on the field would likely come in the College Football Playoff, for the foreseeable future.

Notre Dame was left out of the CFP in 2025, but the Fighting Irish are expected to be back in the postseason. According to oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook, Notre Dame has the second-best odds of winning the national championship at +700, while Freeman and company are currently -650 to make the CFP.

As for USC's odds, the Trojans are +4,000 to win the national championship and +280 to make the CFP. In the Big Ten, USC is projected to finish behind Michigan, Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana.

Both teams will be led by Heisman hopeful quarterbacks in USC's Jayden Maiava and Notre Dame's CJ Carr, but the Fighting Irish are expected to make the postseason while the Trojans would be more of a surprise team.

Still, USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans have a veteran-laden roster paired with a dynamic recruiting class. USC's Big Ten schedule also gives the team opportunities for statement wins against Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State, and Indiana.

USC vs. Oregon Rivalry

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning takes the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USC's use of social media after Brown's commitment is not the first time the Trojans have had some fun online when it comes to recruiting rivalries.

When four-star cornerback Danny Lang committed to USC over Oregon, the Trojans posted a video of green grass being spray painted red. The only text in USC's video read, "Guess the grass wasn't greener," twisting a slogan of Ducks coach Dan Lanning: "The grass is damn green in Eugene."

Unlike USC and Notre Dame, the Trojans do face Oregon as part of the Big Ten schedule. The Ducks will be making the trip to face USC in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 26, and Big Ten positioning as well as key bragging rights will be at stake.

Recruits like Lang and Brown will still be in high school, but could their commitments have stoked the flames of an already heated rivalry?

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