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USC Predicted to Land No. 1 Player in New Jersey

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jordan Merritt | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 12:40 PM ET

The USC Trojans could be in for another top commit from the 2026 class if the latest news is on the money. On3 recruiting guru Steve Wiltfong has logged an expert prediction for four-star edge Luke Wafle to commit to the Trojans.

The prediction is extra significant as Wiltfong originally had him committing to Big Ten rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes. It comes a few days after his official visit to the Trojans and ahead of his commitment announcement later today.

Everything seemed to be pointing to Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, but the latest prediction throws it all into question. Wafle is set to announce his commitment at around 2:00 p.m. EST.

Waffle is ranked the No. 1 player in New Jersey and also the No. 10 edge player, according to On3 Industry Rankings. The Buckeyes looked in a good position to land the No. 52 player in the nation and the No. 4 linebacker, Cincere Johnson, today.

However, it would be a massive result for the USC Trojans if they can beat out their rival and add another top-edge recruit from the 2026 class. They have already landed Simote Katoanga, who is ranked the No. 12 player in his position.

Lincoln Riley and his staff are having an impressive May and June in recruiting, which has seen them leapfrog the LSU Tigers as the No. 1-ranked team in the 2026 recruiting class rankings, per On3 . Things look better than they did 12 months ago when the Trojans started to lose a significant portion of their 2025 class to the Georgia Bulldogs and other teams. Riley hopes things do not follow suit in the 2026 class.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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