USC, Notre Dame, Texas A&M are red hot on recruiting trail

Contributor
Andrew Nemec
USC, Notre Dame, Texas A&M are red hot on recruiting trail image

There's been a flurry of recent activity on the recruiting trail, and for a handful of schools it's a time to celebrate.

Here's a look at three college football programs who are red hot and rolling on the recruiting trail:

Texas A&M Aggies

It has been quite a week for Texas A&M, which has added four bluechip recruits since.

The streak began with Clearwater (Florida) four-star interior offensive lineman Samuel Roseborough and Carthage (Texas) elite running back KJ Edwards.

Edwards, the nation's No. 2 running back, was a particularly big win for the Aggies, as they bested in-state rival Texas for the dynamic ball-carrier.

Going head-to-head with Oregon later in the week, Texas A&M secured the commitment of Mount Miguel (California) five-star athlete/cornerback Brandon Arrington.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound athlete and sprinter broke the Arcadia Invitational meet record in the 200-meter dash with a time of 20.35, breaking the record of Olympian Noah Lyles.

Arrington has jaw-dropping speed that makes him a possible Olympian, but he's also a versatile/rapidly-improving wide receiver and cornerback.

On Saturday, the Aggies seemed to put a bow on the week with Carver (Georgia) five-star edge-rusher Tristian Givens, who was expected to announce a decision Monday but instead locked in his future while on a visit to campus.

Texas A&M is arguably the hottest team in the country right now. 

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Friday proved to be a winning day for Notre Dame's secondary.

It began with the commitment of Loyola Blakefield (Maryland) four-star cornerback Khary Adams, who is rated the nation's No. 3 cornerback. 

Just hours later, however, his commitment was topped by the addition of La Salle College (Pennsylvania) five-star safety Joey O'Brien.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound defensive back experienced a whirlwind recruitment in which both Penn State and Oregon appeared to be the leaders at different points in the spring.

But what mattered most was who led for O'Brien on Friday.

That proved to be Notre Dame.

O'Brien has immense upside and has drawn comparisons to NFL Pro Bowler Justin Simmons.

The future of the secondary looks bright in South Bend.

It's possible Fighting Irish fans someday look back lovingly at June 20 as the day they landed two of the nation's best defensive backs. 

USC Trojans

USC has the nation's No. 1 recruiting class, so this "hot streak" feels like it's entering a third or fourth consecutive month.

But this week was huge for Lincoln Riley's program.

It began with the addition of Kahuku (Hawaii) four-star linebacker Talano Ili, the nation's No. 3 player at his position. 

Ili, who played his first three high school seasons at Orange Lutheran in Southern California, chose USC over UCLA in an unofficial "in-state" recruiting battle.

These are recruitments USC has lost in recent years, instead focusing on targeting national recruits.

The re-emphasis of Southern California recruiting is a massive development for Riley's Trojans, and Ili was yet another sign that the momentum has shifted in their favor.

Thursday was the commitment day for Hun School (New Jersey) defensive end Luke Wafle, who was primarily down to Ohio State and USC.

In the finals days, the nation's No. 6 edge-rusher seemed to shift his leader from Ohio State to USC amid rumblings of a significant seven-figure NIL deal.

If true, that's still a positive development for USC.

The Trojans had an uneven, somewhat scattered approach to their NIL dealings prior to the arrival of general manager Chad Bowden this offseason. 

It seems as though USC has a much more streamlined, professional approach to its NIL dealings this recruiting cycle and the program is reaping the benefits.

Of course, Wafle's change-of-heart could also just as easily have been about a late push from the USC coaching staff.

Either way you slice it, USC proving it's a dangerous closer on the recruiting trail is a win for the program.