4-Star Recruit Tomuhini Topui: USC Trojans 'Generational' Recruiting Class Wants Championship

Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui is in Indianapolis this week, competing in the Rivals Five-Star event. He spoke about the recruiting class that is being assembled in Los Angeles. 

“What we’re trying to build is a generational class, build a team like that 2004 team that went all the way to the national championship,” Topui said in an interview with On3. “We’re really just trying to bring back California football back on the map. All of us, especially hometown kids, it’s a lot of hometown kids, some kids out of state. We’re happy, love to have them over here, but overall, just having the hometown kids stay home. The best in Cali stay in Cali, that’s what they say.”

Topui is one of two recruits that flipped their commitment from west coast foe Oregon to USC in the spring, joining Lincoln-Way East (Ill.) four-star quarterback Jonas Williams. 

Topui was also the first recruit from Mater Dei to commit to the Trojans since the 2022 cycle, USC coach Lincoln Riley’s first recruiting class. In doing so, Topui kickstarted the Trojans rebuilding its recruiting pipeline with the national powerhouse. 

Since then, two of his teammates, five-star tight end Mark Bowman and four-star linebacker Shaun Scott have announced their pledges to USC. 

Bowden has emphasized keeping blue-chip recruits in their backyard from leaving the state of California. And while it’s impossible to prevent every top prospect from committing to other programs, the Trojans have had their most success recruiting local talent in the 2026 cycle, since Riley first arrived in November 2021. 

Of the top 20 prospects in California according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, six of them are committed to USC in Topui, Bowman, four-star EDGE Simote Katoanga, four-star running back Deshonne Redeaux, four-star receiver Trent Mosley and four-star cornerback Brandon Lockhart. And all six happen to be within a 60-mile radius of campus. 

In total, 17 of their commitments come from the Golden State. And IMG Academy (Fla.) five-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe and Kahuku (Hawaii) four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili are originally from Southern California. 

To put it into perspective, the Trojans signed a total of five recruits from California in the 2025 cycle and six in the 2024 cycle. 

USC certainly hasn’t limited themselves to just elite talent within a short driving distance of campus. As the Trojans are set to begin its second season as members of the Big Ten conference, they have established a recruiting footprint in the Midwest. 

In addition to Williams, they hold commitments from Archbishop Hoban (Ohio) five-star cornerback Elbert Hill, Harvey (Ohio) four-star running back Shahn Alston and Mount Carmel (Ill.) four-star defensive lineman Braeden Jones. 

And now, USC has expanded into the East Coast when they landed Hun School (N.J.) four-star EDGE Luke Wafle on June 19 after an intense recruiting battle with Ohio State and Penn State. 

The Trojans are not done adding to an already impressive recruiting class. The goal is to add a couple of more recruits before the end of the summer and leave room for a couple of evaluations in the fall. The message from Topui when it comes to pursuing other prospects is simple.

“Why not, look at the class we have, look at the people we’re being in, look at the coaches we’re bringing in as well," Topui told On3. "We’re just trying to bring the program back. Why not USC.”