4-Star Recruit Keenyi Pepe Commits To USC Trojans, Pushes Recruiting Class To No. 1

In March, Pepe talked to On3’s Chad Simmons about why the USC Trojans were high on his list, noting their consistent communications. Pepe also talked about the coaching staff and his belief that the program is heading in the right direction.

“They’ve literally been calling me every day,” Pepe said. “They’ve called me every day for the last week. I’ve been talking with them.”

“Coach Riley has the program going in the right direction and I like him and the staff. It is a school I am high on because of the coaches and the people there,” Pepe said.

The commitment comes just a couple of days after the Trojans hosted an elite group of recruits for Trojan Olympics weekend. Pepe has been on campus several times, but it was his second straight weekend visiting with Riley. The persistence from USC’s end helped sway the four-star tackle in their direction. Pepe is also the younger cousin of USC defensive tackle Kobe Pepe, though they are close and consider themselves brothers.

With the addition of Pepe, the Trojans are back to having the No. 1 ranked recruiting class of 2026 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. USC and the LSU Tigers have been going back and forth with the No. 1 spot. Pepe is the seventh top-100 recruit the Trojans have recruited in this cycle.

USC has now received 25 commitments, more than every school in the nation. Of the 25 recruits, two are five-star players, 11 are four-stars, and 11 are three-stars. The Trojans are prioritizing their recruiting efforts and it is paying off.

The Trojans are building an elite offensive line and could dominate the trenches as these players develop. In addition to Pepe on the offensive line, in the class of 2026, the Trojans received a commitment from four-star Esun Tafa, three-stars Vlad Dyakonov, Kannon Smith, John Fifita, and unranked Chase Deniz. 

They will join the class of 2025 four-star offensive linemen Aaron Dunn and Alex Payne. Even with the commitment from Pepe, the Trojans are not done with their recruiting efforts. USC is also targeting four-star linemen Malakai Lee and Kelvin Obot.

USC hired general manager Chad Bowden following the 2024 season. Between Bowden and Riley, it is clear USC is looking to bring in not just a high number of recruits, but as many top talent players as they can.

With the commitments that USC is receiving the program is set to be a contender for many years. After ending 2024 with a 7-6 record, the Trojans getting back on track, building a dominant team, and looking to compete for another College Football National Championship.

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