USC Trojans Battling Miami Hurricanes, Texas Longhorns For Top Wide Receiver Recruit

Adam Gorney of Rivals said that the Trojans remain at the top of Hale's recruitment as he heads into his junior season.

"USC has held steadfast at the top for Hale as his relationships are strong there, he continues to build great relationships with the coaching staff and the offense suits his playing style. Miami has pushed hard this summer and he loves position coach Kevin Beard with Texas, and Ohio State as three other standouts," Gorney said.

Although he has been regarded as one of the best pass catchers in the 2027 recruiting cycle for quite some time, Hale's recruitment has taken off over the summer. He's received offers from Georgia, Texas A&M, and Alabama in the month of August alone. Hale currently holds 24 offers and is one of the most sought-after wide receivers recruits in the cycle.

He ranks as the No. 9 wide receiver and No. 58 player in the country according to 247Sports rankings. Hale is the top-ranked wide receiver to hail from California. The last time the Trojans reeled in the top in-state wide receiver was the 2024 recruiting cycle, when they landed four-star wide receiver Xavier Jordan.

Rivals' Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Trojans a 38.9 percent chance of landing Hale, barely edging out Oklahoma, who is given a 34.1 percent chance of landing the elite wide receiver recruit.

Riley's Wide Receiver Recruiting Track Record

During his time at USC, Riley has been able to recruit some of the top talent at the wide receiver position.

In his first recruiting class with the Trojans during the 2023 cycle, Riley signed five-star wide receivers Zachariah Branch and Duce Robinson. In the same class, USC signed four-star wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane.

Although the five-star pair of Branch and Robinson ultimately transferred out during this offseason, Lemon and Lane have developed into one of the best wide receiver duos in college football.

For the 2024 recruiting cycle, USC only signed Xavier Jordan, a four-star recruit. He is expected to compete for a role in the wide receiver room this season with Lemon and Lane leading the way for the unit.

However in the 2025 cycle, the Trojans signed multiple four-star wide receivers in Romero Ison and Tanook Hines in addition to three-star Corey Simms.