USC flips four-star QB Jonas Williams away from Oregon

We’ve got a huge flip in the 2026 recruiting class. Jonas Williams has flipped from Oregon to USC.

The four-star quarterback from Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln Way East committed to Oregon last August over LSU, Alabama and Ohio State. The Trojans were not really in the picture at that point. But everything changed for Williams after he visited USC for a Junior Day recently.

Williams is the tenth commitment of the 2026 class for the Trojans and the first quarterback. He instantly becomes one of the jewels of the cycle for the re-tooled Trojans staff.

It’s a huge deal that USC pulled this flip off for a number of reasons. First, Williams is a fantastic prospect. He’s one of the top players and quarterbacks in the entire country. So landing a player of that caliber is always a big deal. But secondly, flipping a player away from a rival in your conference means so much.

Not only do the Trojans get a big-time player but they are keeping him away from Oregon. The Ducks have been a major problem for USC on the recruiting trail since coach Dan Lanning took over the program. This could be a signal that USC is turning the tide back the other way in these battles with the Ducks.

The final point to follow here is that USC added another big-time player from the Midwest. If the Trojans are going to be elite in the Big Ten they’ll need to get talent from the traditional Big Ten footprint. Williams joins four-star defensive end Braeden Jones as a Chicagoland native in the class. The Trojans are in the mix for several other players from the region too.

I have seen Williams play in person several times over the last two years. The growth in his game has been clear. He works well within the pocket and throws the ball with power but is also accurate. Williams throws the ball with good anticipation as well which helps his receivers out.

But the thing that could make him special is an ability to improvise. Williams is a good athlete and throws the ball well on the run. He can also be used in the RPO game because he’s more than capable of breaking off big runs as we saw him do during his junior season. Williams has the ability to be a multi-year starter at USC and blossom under the coaching of Lincoln Riley.

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