Ohio State, USC, Oregon Battling For Commitment From Top Recruit In Oregon

Molden spoke with Rivals about his recruitment and how the USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans stack up against the field. Ohio State, Oregon, and Washington are all pushing hard for Molden's commitment in addition to USC. The four-star recruit said that USC cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed has been recruiting hard for the Trojans.

“They’re also doing a great job,” Molden said. “They’re texting me and calling me a lot. I really love their DB coach. I feel like he meets all my standards and their defensive coordinator and how they play ball is amazing," Molden said.

The No. 16 cornerback and No, 142 player in the country according to 247Sports Composite rankings, Molden is the top prospect hailing from the state of Oregon. USC hasn't recruited a ton of prospects from the Beaver State. The last time they signed an Oregon native was in the 2024 recruiting cycle when four-star tight end Joey Olsen signed with the Trojans.

Although there's two college football seasons between now and when Molden will land on campus, On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine favors the Ducks to land the in-state prospect, giving Oregon a 29.7 percent chance of landing Molden. USC will have to keep their foot on the pedal if they want to go into the Pacific Northwest and land one of the top targets in the region.

USC will have a chance to make a big impression on Molden as the two sides are attempting to hammer out a visit during the season according to Rivals. Molden has yet to make the trip out to Los Angeles.

USC has yet to add a commitment to their 2027 recruiting class, but are heavily in the mix for a handful of their top targets in the cycle. Similarly to their 2026 recruiting class, the Trojans have been aggressively recruiting the defensive backs in the 2027 recruiting cycle.

In addition to Molden, USC has been going after a pair of four-star cornerbacks in Jailen Hill and Aaryn Washington, two California natives.

Hill is the No. the No. 17 cornerback and No. 173 player in the country according to 247Sports Composite rankings. He currently attends from St. John Bosco, the same school USC 2026 commit Joshua Holland attends.

Washington is the No. 4 cornerback and No. 19 player in the country. He is one of the Trojans' top targets in the 2027 recruiting cycle, regardless of position.