Trio of commits this month has USC hunting another elite recruiting class

Following its first No. 1 overall recruiting class in two decades, USC is keeping its foot on the gas in 2027.

The Trojans nearly led wire-to-wire in the 2026 cycle and ultimately signed seven prospects who ranked among the top 60 recruits nationally. With that in the rearview, they’ve turned up the heat on their top 2027 prospects and again have one of the country’s premier recruiting classes as we close out the month of April.

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That class has gotten even better this month with three new commitments. The Trojans landed dynamic, do-it-all running back Javon Vital Jr. at the beginning of the month, followed by in-state tight end Jace Cannon, and Rivals five-star edge rusher Mekai Brown.

The trio of commitments pushed USC into the No. 4 overall spot in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. It also continued the massive wave of momentum in L.A. recently.

“That second visit really changed things for me,” Brown told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “I got to see more of USC and more of L.A., and it just felt different. After that visit, USC moved to the top of my list. I kept taking visits, but I didn’t get that feeling.”

Brown chose USC over a strong group that included Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Ohio State, with the latter three joining the Trojans in his final group.

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His addition is major one as Lincoln Riley and Co. look to build even more along with offensive and defensive lines. As a junior, he finished with double-digit sacks and 68 tackles in just nine games.

The Trojans also have three top-100 players committed in the secondary, as well as two of the country’s premier receivers. Now with 11 commitments in total, they still have plenty of room to add pieces to what should be another stellar class.

USC Trojans commitments by position

Running backThree-star Javon Vital, No. 498 NATL. (No. 40 RB)

Wide receiverFour-star Quentin Hale, No. 62 NATL. (No. 12 WR)Four-star Eli Woodard, No. 168 NATL. (No. 24 WR)

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Tight endThree-star Jace Cannon, No. 506 NATL. (No. 29 TE)

Offensive tackleFour-star Drew Fielder, No. 120 NATL. (No. 11 OT)

EdgeFour-star Mekai Brown, No. 33 NATL. (No. 6 EDGE)

Defensive lineThree-star Isaia Vandermade, No. 631 NATL. (No. 60 DL)

LinebackerThree-star Josiah Poyer, No. 622 NATL. (No. 53 LB)

CornerbackFour-star Danny Lang, No. 70 NATL. (No. 10 CB)Four-star Aaryn Washington, No. 94 NATL. (No. 13 CB)

AthleteFive-star Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, No. 18 NATL. (No. 1 ATH)