After consecutive cycles ranked No. 15 or lower in the On3 Sports Industry Football Team Recruiting Rankings, the USC Trojans are now looking to bounce back in a massive way. The class they are putting together could very well become the best class of the Lincoln Riley era, with two Top-10 overall prospects.
At the beginning of May, the Trojans held the county’s No. 1 recruiting class with a whopping 27 commitments. This was nearly double what every other Power 4 program in the country has in their own class. Two of their commitments are five-star talents ranked in the Top-10, while 13 more check in as four-stars and another 11 check in as three-stars. A number of those are on the cusp of attaining blue-chip status.
USC’s 2026 Class Off to Hot Start With 2 Top-10 Overall Recruits
The USC Trojans are leading the 2026 recruiting race, landing two top-10 overall prospects as Riley continues building one of the nation’s most elite classes. This class is taking shape to be one of the best that Riley has ever put together, and it’s very easy to see why.
The Top 🔟 overall recruits in the updated 2026 Top247 rankings. 🤩
MORE: https://t.co/eE5xaNbkpJ pic.twitter.com/UinkxVX8Bp
— 247Sports (@247Sports) May 14, 2025
The two biggest commitments that USC has landed come in their two five-star recruits, Keenyi Pepe and Xavier Griffin.
Pepe’s commitment to the Trojans came earlier than expected, as he was still expected to visit other programs. Great news for USC, Pepe revealed that he is shutting down his recruitment and will not be taking any more visits.
“I feel like being committed and taking other visits is like going on other dates when you’re married,” Pepe told Rivals. “I’m staying committed and staying with one school. I’m not bouncing around with schools.”
Per the On3 industry rankings, Pepe is the No. 5 offensive tackle, the No. 5 player from Florida, and the No. 44 recruit in the nation. Pepe plays for the IMG Academy in Florida but is a California native looking to be home in 2026.
Pepe chose USC over the Florida Gators, Texas Longhorns, Georgia Bulldogs, and the Miami Hurricanes. The consistency in communication along with USC, Riley, and the program’s recruiting momentum pushed the Trojans ahead of the other schools. Pepe is also the younger cousin of USC defensive tackle Kobe Pepe.
As for Griffin, he is the crown jewel of the Trojans No. 1 ranked recruiting class for the 2026 cycle. He will return to USC next weekend for the first time since he was on campus for Junior Day in early February. It will be his sixth trip to Los Angeles.
“A lot of excitement and high energy in LA right now!” Griffin told On3 in February. “I believe Coach Riley has put together a stellar coaching staff and we will have a strong recruiting class for 2026. Being able to play for three top NFL coaches excites me the most. Just ready to get in there and learn as much as possible!”
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The Trojans have also garnered commitment from the likes of five-star cornerback who ranks as the No. 30 overall prospect RJ Sermons, Top-100 quarterback Jonah Williams, and four-star defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui to push them over the top and make them truly have one of the best recruiting classes maybe even in USC Trojans history.
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