The USC Trojans’ recent success on the recruiting trail is getting noticed.
On3 currently rates USC‘s 2025 recruiting class as the third strongest in the nation.
This recruiting success is necessary for the Trojans, who are set to embark on their inaugural season of Big Ten play, which, as reported in depth by John Goldman of Gridiron Heroiocs, will feature one of the toughest schedules in the nation. And, their annual schedules will remain daunting in the future, consisting of nine in-conference games in one of the two strongest conferences in the nation. (The Big Ten and SEC are the undisputed powerhouse conferences in the college football world.) Hence, continual fortification of the team roster with stellar recruiting classes will be critical for the University of Southern California.
High-Rated Trojan Recruits From the Past
In USC’s storied history, highly-regarded recruits have paved the way to victories and championships. A select few of these top recruits include:
- Reggie Bush — nation’s No. 1 running back in 2003 recruiting class
- Amon-Ra St. Brown — nation’s No. 2 wide receiver in 2018 recruiting class
- Marcus Allen — voted best high school player in California in 1977
- Willie McGinest — voted “Best in the West” in 1990 at Long Beach Poly High
- Adoree’ Jackson —voted best high school player in California in 2013
- Carson Palmer — high school All-American QB
- Charles White — voted best high school player in California in 1975
- Bruce Matthews — high school all-star in 1978
- Junior Seau — San Diego County Defensive Player of the Year in 1986
- Tony Boselli — highly recruited OT from Colorado in 1990 class
The Trojans 2025 Recruiting Class
USC’s 2025 recruiting class features two athletes rated in the top ten of all recruits in the nation. And, significantly for a USC team that has had defensive struggles in the past couple years, the 2025 recruiting class features highly-regarded defenders. Here are the highly-rated members of USC’s 2025 recruiting class:
5-star recruits:
- Justus Terry, Defensive Linemen
- Julian Lewis, Quarterback
4-star recruits:
- Isaiah Gibson, Edge Rusher
- Hylton Stubbs, Safety
- Matai, Tagoa’i, Linebacker
- Harry Dalton III, Athlete
- Trestin Castro, Cornerback
The high ratings of each of these players who have committed to USC yields On3’s No. 3 overall rating for the Trojans’ 2025 class. As noted by Trojans Wire, “On3 bases its rankings on an average of [compiled ratings of] recruits across the country.”
The only two teams that currently have higher 2025 class ratings than USC are LSU and Ohio State.
The Importance of Success on the Recruiting Trail
The significance of USC’s recent accomplishments in landing highly-regarded recruits cannot be understated. Indeed, success on the recruiting trail translates to success on the gridiron.
The Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN) makes this common-sense observation:
“There is naturally a direct relationship between the success a team has on the recruiting trail to what it has on the field.”
Thus, with their recent success on the recruiting trail, the USC Trojans have reason for optimism going forward. If USC keeps it up, the team and its fans can anticipate optimal results.
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