It’s no secret USC failed last season. Countless blown leads and a lack of a strong offense at times sent this team back which seemed like years. Then, the offseason hit. USC seemed to have a solid recruiting class in place for ’26 until they completely overhauled their staff.
They brought in premier recruiters in Chad Bowden and Chad Savage, replaced LB Coach Matt Entz with former NFL DC Rob Ryan, and brought on numerous more changes to the staff, and it showed as they began to catapult in rankings in the 2026 class. They’ve switched their focus outside of the US to recruiting in their backyard of California, trying to create pipelines that resemble that of the Pete Carroll days at USC. Here are three more recruits that could help that pipeline as well as vault them into the top spot of the recruiting class of ’26.
USC Targets is Class of 2026
WR Chris Henry – Mater Dei HS (CA)
One of the true gems of this class, Henry was a top receiver for SoCal powerhouse Mater Dei last season. He was a large part of their CIF D1 title, as well as their eventual national championship. He currently is under commitment to Ohio State but was on the field for USC’s junior day this month.
Many doubt that he will flip, but he recently posted a list of schools that he would be taking an official visit to, one which USC was able to crack. With this new staff, especially with the “Super Chads“, the Trojans look to be one of the teams that could possibly flip Henry, especially because of his proximity to home and the historic Mater Dei-USC pipeline.
QB Ryder Lyons – Folsom HS (CA)
Lyons, the now senior prospect, was an integral part of Folsom’s rise to becoming one of the top teams in high school football last year. USC has been high in his list of top schools, constantly being aggressive, and even had HC Lincoln Riley visit Folsom at the start of this year.
Lyons does plan to take a mission trip, and with USC making heavy progress with other quarterbacks in the cycle, it could end up well for the cardinal and gold in this case. With the pursuit of him, the Trojans would end up with a top QB for the next cycle as well, allowing for more resources to be put into other skill positions, like LB and WR.
CB Davon Benjamin – Oaks Christian HS (CA)
Davon Benjamin, the number three CB in this year’s class, is currently uncommitted. Like Henry, Benjamin was in attendance for the junior day at the start of the month. There, he received a heavy push, especially from CB Brandon Lockhart, to commit to the Trojans. Lockhart stated that he thought he was helping to influence Benjamin, and many circles surrounding the Trojans and CFB believe that Benjamin is a future Trojan. If so, it would be a huge get for the Trojans and Doug Belk who would be able to lock down the CB room, which would be the top of all recruiting classes.
Conclusion
In all, USC is building a class for the future. With world-class staff and even more world-class players, the Trojans can return to the top of college football again. These players, all special in their own right, merely expedite the process for one of CFB’s longest-standing programs.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
