USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley Narrows In On Wide Receiver Recruit, Top Prospect

Blair Angulo of 247Sports spoke with Hale about where the Trojans stand in his recruitment at a passing tournament over the weekend.

"The success that USC has had on the recruiting trail this cycle has caught the attention of Quentin Hale, the elite wide receiver from Cathedral High. Hale said that he has particularly been impressed with the additions of a few other pass catchers like Mark Bowman and Ethan Feaster, and that featuring in a promising Trojans offense alongside those players has certainly crossed his mind," Angulo said.

The No. 9 wide receiver and No. 58 player in the country according to 247Sports, Hale is one of the best recruits in the state of California and would continue the Trojans' trend of keeping the best in-state players home.

Oregon, Texas, and Ohio State are battling it out with the Trojans for the four-star product, but his recruitment is far from over with no commitment timeline set out.

Greg Biggins of 247Sports said that Hale's potential and physical makeup makes him one of the best wide receivers in the region

"Hale is one of the premier receivers in the West, regardless of class. He has a long, athletic 6-3 frame and is extremely fluid and smooth in how he moves. He has high level body control, is an advanced route runner and is a natural pass catcher...his upside is very high. He has a polished game and when you look at his frame and natural athleticism, the ceiling is very high here," Biggins said.

The Trojans will be in contention for having the best recruiting class If they are able to find similar success in the 2027 recruiting cycle with in-state recruits like they have in the 2026 cycle.

Another one of the Trojans' top targets in the 2027 recruiting cycle is five-star defensive back Duvay Williams. The No. 3 cornerback and No. 18 player in the country according to 247Sports rankings, Williams already has a prediction in favor of the Trojans from the 247Sports Staff Projection.

USC owns four commitments from four of the top 15 players from California in the 2026 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports rankings. Despite not having any commitments in the 2027 cycle, the Trojans are in position to land a number of their top targets like Hale and Williams partially because of the success from the cycle prior.