USC recruiting is again on monitor after revamping personnel workplace
USC has come again to life.
Coach Lincoln Riley has accomplished some phenomenal recruiting this offseason – and it had little or no to do with high 2026 prospects.
The hiring of a recruiting division led by normal supervisor Chad Bowden has rejuvenated the Trojans, how elite native prospects view this system’s path and the way a lot they’re speaking about taking part in at USC once more.
There’s a reputable front-office really feel at USC today in amount and high quality that would push the Trojans again to the elite of school soccer. It’s one thing of a birthright that USC is within the playoff dialog.
WHICH METRO AREA PRODUCES THE BEST HS FOOTBALL TALENT? YOU DECIDE
RELATED: USC stays sizzling with pledge from four-star RB Deshonne Redeaux
Bowden just lately talked with Rivals about his imaginative and prescient for this system, how he and Riley are unified of their method and what must get achieved to deliver USC again into the nationwide title image.
The switch portal shall be essential for items however recruiting courses shall be constructed by way of the highschool ranks. And among the finest highschool soccer expertise wherever is down the street from USC.
“The tradition of what you’re constructing must be by way of highschool since you’ll have the chance to be with these youngsters for 4 or 5 years,” Bowden mentioned. “That must be the main focus. We’re nonetheless going to go within the portal but it surely’s not going to be an enormous emphasis. It’s going to be getting the correct youngsters in highschool.
“You’ll be able to construct a workforce round highschool recruiting. You’ll be able to construct a tradition round highschool recruiting. Particularly if the youngsters you usher in worth what a USC diploma can do for them, the coaches and the kind of relationships and growth we provide these younger individuals.
“All of the issues USC affords these youngsters that they wished simply as dangerous as we wished them they usually’re right here for all the correct causes, we are able to construct a tradition round that and we’re going to deliver that in by way of highschool. It’s going to be an enormous focus on this subsequent class.”
It already is.
USC has jumped out to the No. 1 recruiting class in 2026 and whereas that’s largely on account of amount with 20 commitments (no different workforce within the high 20 has greater than 14) there’s additionally spectacular high quality for the Trojans together with many native standouts. On Saturday, four-star operating again Deshonne Redeaux from Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian joined the category.
Additionally necessary that shouldn’t go unnoticed: Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro and members of his employees have been at a spring follow final week.
That has been a uncommon sight lately as coaches and recruiting staffers from native elite packages have privately complained that they have been considerably forgotten by the USC employees.
The following huge step can be to get Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei coach Raul Lara and a few of his assistants there as effectively. The Trinity League in Southern California is arguably the very best nationally and alluring these coaches over to campus is a serious step in the correct path.
There may be nonetheless quite a lot of work to do.
USC has gone from 11-3 to 8-5 to 7-6 in Riley’s three seasons. That is nonetheless a program that fired Lane Kiffin on the LAX tarmac after which held onto Clay Helton for most likely far too lengthy as a result of he was a pleasant man.
Alabama (led by normal supervisor Courtney Morgan, who has vital Los Angeles ties) got here in final recruiting cycle and landed California’s top-two prospects. Solely two of the top-27 prospects within the state final cycle landed with the Trojans. Oregon has accomplished because it pleases in California. Georgia dips in at will and flipped a bunch of USC commits final cycle. Texas and others are doing work.
However USC is battling laborious in 2026. The Trojans already flipped excessive four-star quarterback Jonas Williams and four-star defensive deal with Tomuhini Topui from Oregon. They’ve loaded up at different positions they usually’re engaged on elite in-state gamers.
5-star quarterback Ryder Lyons just lately visited though that appears like a stretch after Williams’ pledge. 5-stars Richard Wesley and particularly Brandon Arrington and Havon Finney Jr. are main targets. USC is heating up with star tight finish Mark Bowman and intriguing Georgia receiver commit Vance Spafford as soon as once more.
“You’ll be able to construct a workforce round highschool recruiting. You’ll be able to construct a tradition round highschool recruiting.”
USC normal supervisor Chad Bowden
If the lifeblood of any program is recruiting, USC is pumping once more and that would deliver significant outcomes quick on the sphere.
“We wish the perfect gamers which are on this metropolis and on this state to play for USC and keep house,” Bowden mentioned. “Now we have respect for each highschool and I consider the very best highschool soccer is performed in California. That’s my true perception and it’s at all times been my perception.
“The principle focus must be maintaining these youngsters near house and maintaining them in California. California is such an enormous state and it has such nice highschool soccer gamers not solely in L.A. however San Diego, Oakland, the Bay Space, all over the place in between there’s such nice highschool soccer. We preserve these youngsters near house, preserve them within the state and construct a fence round California, construct a fence in L.A. it’s going to pay large dividends.”
