USC 2027 Class Breakdown: Trojans taking small but mighty group this cycle

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Lincoln Riley and USC signed the No. 1 class in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings in the 2026 cycle. The Trojans signed 35 prospects, 22 of whom were blue-chippers.

After bringing in such a big group, the Big Ten program is toning it down a touch in its 2027 recruiting efforts. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t won big in some of the most important battles of the cycle.

As of July 28, USC has just 14 commits in its class, but it still checks in at No. 13 overall in the team rankings. Nine of the 14 commits are four or five-star recruits and the headliner is an in-state Swiss Army knife.

San Diego Cathedral Catholic five-star athlete Honor Fa’alave-Johnson was trending toward the Trojans for some time and he pulled the trigger on his commitment in mid-March. The 6-foot, 180-pounder could line up as a defensive back, running back or receiver at the next level. He’s the top-ranked ‘athlete’ in the nation.

Fa’alave-Johnson is one of nine in-state commits in the class. Four-star cornerback Danny Lang, the No. 7 player in the Golden State, is next in line to come out of high school powerhouse Mater Dei. He helps highlight a loaded DB haul that also includes IMG Academy (Fla.) four-star CB Aaryn Washington and La Verne (Calif.) Damien four-star safety Gavin Williams.

Corona (Calif.) Centennial four-star wide receiver Quentin Hale, the No. 8 player in the state, has been committed since February. He and Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton four-star WR Roye Oliver create one of the top receiver duos in the country.

Greenwich (Conn.) Country Day five-star EDGE Mekai Brown was a humongous cross-country victory in the spring. The likes of Notre Dame and Ohio State pushed hard, but he’s got his sights set on SoCal. Brown’s stock has soared ahead of his senior campaign.

The small class also ranks 4th in the Big Ten. An updated look at the haul for Riley and Co. can be seen below:

USC Commitments by Position

Running Back
Three-star Javon Vital Jr., No. 606 NATL. (No. 44 RB)

Wide Receiver
Four-star Quentin Hale, No. 70 NATL. (No. 12 WR)
Four-star Roye Oliver, No. 86 NATL. (No. 16 WR)

Tight End
Three-star Jace Cannon, No. 465 NATL. (No. 27 TE)

Offensive Tackle
Four-star Drew Fielder, No. 112 NATL. (No. 11 OT)

Defensive Lineman
Four-star Alifeleti Tuihalamaka, No. 153 NATL. (No. 16 DL)
Three-star Isaia Vandermade, No. 885 NATL. (No. 98 DL)

EDGE
Five-star Mekai Brown, No. 26 NATL. (No. 6 EDGE)

Linebacker
Three-star Josiah Poyer, No. 857 NATL. (No. 51 LB)
Three-star Dylan Wafle, No. 1,482 NATL. (No. 139 LB)

Cornerback
Four-star Danny Lang, No. 68 NATL. (No. 9 CB)
Four-star Aaryn Washington, No. 115 NATL. (No. 16 CB)

Safety
Four-star Gavin Williams, No. 130 NATL. (No. 7 S)

Athlete
Five-star Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, No. 11 NATL. (No. 1 ATH)

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