Five-Star Recruit Honor Fa'alave-Johnson Expected to Commit to USC
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In their second season in the Big Ten, the USC Trojans saw improvement, going 9-4 overall and 7-2 in conference matchups. While their 2025 season ended in disappointment with an Alamo Bowl loss to the TCU Horned Frogs, the Trojans still had lots to celebrate after going 7-6 in 2024.
After improvement on the field, Lincoln Riley and his staff have hit the offseason, focusing on the recruiting trail. USC’s 2027 cycle is slowly coming together, already having four commitments. While the group continues to take shape, Riley is targeting one of the class’s top players.
Honor Fa’alave-Johnson put together an impressive junior season at Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, California. On offense, he rushed for 1,265 yards and 21 touchdowns while hauling in 35 receptions for 564 yards and seven touchdowns. He was just as impressive on defense with 38 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions and four pass deflections.
Along with strong production, Fa’alave-Johnson is a five-star recruit, the No. 1 athlete and the No. 18 player in the nation, per Rivals Industry Rankings. Despite playing on both sides of the ball, he is expected to play safety at the collegiate level.
He has already shown a tremendous amount of interest in USC, taking four unofficial visits to Los Angeles to get a better look at the program. The Trojans’ efforts may soon pay off, with Rivals’ Scott Schrader predicting Fa’alave-Johnson will commit to USC. With 211 all-time predictions, Schrader has been correct 83.41% of the time.
The five-star recruit’s decision will come soon, set to announce his commitment on Saturday. USC is one of six finalists, joined by the Miami Hurricanes, Texas Longhorns, LSU Tigers, Oregon Ducks and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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