Lincoln Riley’s current focus is undoubtedly the pressure ahead of him this fall, but the USC head coach has also been making strong moves with the Trojans’ future in mind.
Riley is creating a program and a culture that’s exciting to players — incoming transfers like sophomore wide receiver Zacharyus Williams are excited to play for the coach. Plus, he’s added top prospects like IMG Academy offensive lineman Breck Kolojay to USC’s 2026 recruiting class.
The Trojans’ class of 2026 recruits were ranked No. 1 in college football by ESPN July 30 and remained in the top spot when updated rankings were released August 8.
Here’s what ESPN’s Craig Haubert had to say about USC:
“No program has more 2026 momentum than USC under Lincoln Riley, especially after hiring general manager Chad Bowden away from Notre Dame,” Haubert wrote. “The Trojans have double-digit ESPN 300 commits, with several joining the list since January. That includes two five-stars to start May in [Keeyni] Pepe and [Elbert] Hill, and a pair of four-star commits who flipped from Big Ten rival Oregon: in-state defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui and quarterback Jonas Williams. Topui is a physical, aggressive defensive tackle who could develop into an interior pass-rushing headache for opposing offenses, and Williams is a true dual-threat signal-caller.”
It’s an exciting assessment for a program that’s steadily struggled under Riley, posting a worse record each season. The Trojans went 11-3 (8-1 Pac-12) in 2022 and finished 8-5 (5-4 Pac-12) in 2023 before posting a 7-6 (4-5 Big Ten) record last season.
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“USC also made it a point to beef up in the trenches. It pulled four-star defensive tackle Jaimeon Winfield out of Texas, landed in-state defensive end Simote Katoanga and traveled to Utah to snag Corner Canyon offensive lineman Esun Tafa,” Haubert wrote. “On the perimeter, they will not have to wait for in-state defender R.J. Sermons as the ESPN 300 CB reclassified to 2025 and will join the Trojans this fall. For 2026, they pulled Elbert Hill, the top-ranked corner, out of the Midwest.”