USC Trojans Secure Historic Recruiting Ranking

On Friday on "The Pat McAfee Show," Henry Jr. announced he will sign with the Ohio State Buckeyes. With his decision, the USC Trojans will likely keep their No. 1 ranking for the first time since 2006 during the Pete Caroll era. USC will also become the first non-SEC team to clinch the No. 1 class since 2008.

Chad Bowden’s Effect On USC Trojans

The USC Trojans hired Chad Bowden in January as the program’s general manager, and he has quickly affected the team. Less than a year after being hired, he has the Trojans in a position to clinch the No. 1 recruiting class.

When hired, Bowden made it clear that he wanted to emphasize recruiting, notably in-state. The Trojans have 35 signees, and over half are from the state of California.

“The thought process this cycle was to go heavy on a high school class, to bring in a group we could build off of, and we were very strategic and heavy in our home state of California,” Bowden told 247Sports. “The main focus was to bring in the right kids that wants to be here, and retaining the right guys that are already within these walls.”

Bowden has become one of USC’s most significant hires, and he is helping build an elite team that will keep the Trojans in College Football Playoff contention for the next several years.

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The Trojans have a couple of in-state signees who were big pickups for the program. One of the biggest signings came at the start of the early signing period as USC flipped four-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. 

Dixon-Wyatt is a California native who was previously committed to Ohio State, but similar to Henry Jr., the staff changes made him reevaluate his decision, and the Trojans landed an elite receiver. With Dixon-Wyatt being from California, USC has had the advantage of keeping up a high level of communication with him.

USC’s Elite Recruiting Class To Take Trojans To Next Level

The USC Trojans finished the regular season as the No. 16 team, a big step up from finishing 2024 unranked. As the Trojans await their bowl game, they hold a 9-3 record, with the chance to win 10 games for the first time since 2022. 

With the incoming recruiting class, USC coach Lincoln Riley can put the Trojans in a position to not only make the CFP but be national championship contenders each season. There are notable recruits who may not play much as a true freshman, such as four-star quarterback Jonas Williams, but the program is bringing in several players primed for an instant impact.

Five-star tight end Mark Bowman and four-star tight end Kayden Dixon-Wyatt could see the field as true freshman while a number offensive and defensive lineman could make their way into the rotation, including five-star Keenyi Pepe, four-star Tomuhini Topui, and four-star Jaimeon Winfield.