Why Elite Defensive Line Recruit Jake Johnson Committed To USC Trojans Over SMU, Wisconsin

The USC Trojans and coach Lincoln Riley have landed another commitment on the recruiting trail, this time from three-star defensive lineman Jake Johnson. He joins USC's recruiting class that is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation by 247Sports.

Johnson plays his high school football in Prosper, Texas, and he is ranked as the No. 71 defensive line recruit and No. 101 overall prospect from the Lone Star State, per 247Sports' rankings. Before choosing the Trojans, Johnson was also being recruited by several programs like Wisconsin, SMU, North Carolina, Baylor, and more.

The talented defensive lineman spoke with On3's Steve Wiltfong about his recent visit to USC's campus, revealing some of the reasoning behind Johnson's early commitment to the Trojans.

“Some of my favorite things were meeting the fantastic coaching staff. Very experienced and intense staff that still keeps things fun. I was able to spend a lot of one on one time with them as well as sit in on team meetings," Johnson told On3.

Dec 27, 2023; San Diego, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the second half against the Louisville Cardinals during the Holiday Bowl at Petco Park. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The three-star recruit also spoke to Wiltfong about his experience at USC's practice, and he highlighted newly-hired linebackers coach Rob Ryan.

“Also watching the players on the first day of padded practice on Saturday, seeing everyone get super physical and hyped up throughout the entire practice," Johnson said. "Also Coach Ryan gave an epic talk to close out practice."

Johnson also mentioned the Bloom Performance Facility, USC's construction project that is set to give Trojans student athletes a state-of-the-art experience. The facility is set to open while Johnson is attending USC.

Johnson is the fourth recruit to commit to Riley and the Trojans this week. Since the start of April, USC has gained verbal pledges from four-star defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui, four-star running back Deshonne Redeaux, three-star wide receiver Kohen Brown, and Johnson. Showing off the Trojans' balanced approach, both Topui and Redeaux are local recruits from Southern California while Brown and Johnson are both from Texas.

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USC general manager Chad Bowden spoke about the balance of emphasizing Southern California recruiting while also pursuing some of the other top prospects across the country.

“We’re going to do everything through the city,” Bowden said. “We’re going to do everything through the state. That’s going to be our primary focus. Now, it doesn’t mean we’re not going to dip into other states because you have to. We’ve done a lot of research. I do a lot of research every place I’ve been."

"Something that we’ve found is back when national championships were won here, when Rose Bowls were won here, you look at Pete Carroll’s classes - 02, 03, 04 - over 80 percent of recruiting classes were from the state of California," Bowden continued.

BREAKING: Class of 2026 DL Jake Johnson has Committed to USC, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’3 290 DL from Prosper, TX chose the Trojans over SMU, Wisconsin, North Carolina, & Vanderbilt

“I’m going back home.”https://t.co/DDg0eSic06 pic.twitter.com/U0dptYBohH
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 7, 2025

Bowden's emphasis on local recruiting has also led to a focus on adding to the offensive and defensive lines at USC. The Trojans have one of the best defensive line recruiting classes in 2026, especially with the recent additions of Topui and Johnson.

Per 247Sports' rankings, USC has four of the top-20 defensive line recruits committed in the class of 2026: four-star Simote Katoanga, four-star Jaimeon Winfield, Topui, and four-star Braeden Jones. Johnson is the seventh defensive line commit for the Trojans, joining three-star prospects Malik Brooks and Andrew Williams.