USC Trojans Recruits Malik Brooks, Jaimeon Winfield, Tomuhini Topui Building Unique Bond

“We’re building relationships every day, me, Jaimeon, TomTom, Jake Johnson, Brandon Lockhart, we’re on the game daily, just building a brotherhood,” Brooks told Rivals. 

"It makes it 10 times more special. We could be the best in the nation. In my eyes, we could be the best in the nation. We've just got to put the work in."

Relationships between prospects and coaches are a crucial element of high school recruiting, but it is equally important for recruits to build strong relationships amongst themselves, their future teammates. 

Winfield, Topui, Brooks and Johnson have been apart of the Trojans recruiting surge since hosting their Junior Day event on Feb. 1. The day served as an important landmark in the shift around the USC football program because it provided recruits the first opportunity to be around new general manager Chad Bowden, who was hired on Jan. 24. 

Of the Trojans 28 commitments, 21 of them have committed over the last three and a half months since Bowden’s arrival. 

For Lockhart, it’s no surprise to see him in the mix. The Los Angeles native is a Trojan through and through, he plays high school football less than two miles from USC’s campus and has been committed to hometown school since his sophomore year. 

Several programs have tried to pull Lockhart out of Southern California, instead the No. 6 ranked cornerback in the 247Sports Composite Rankings has taken it upon himself to be the lead recruiter for USC in the 2026 cycle. He’s been a frequent visitor on campus to actively recruit other top prospects and played a pivotal role in the recruitment of Archbishop Hoban (Ohio) five-star cornerback Elbert Hill. 

Hill was one of the coveted prospects in the country with Ohio State, Oregon and Alabama all in pursuit of the No. 3 ranked cornerback in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, but it was ultimately the Trojans who won out when he announced his pledge on May 2. 

“Elbert Hill was one of the guys we didn’t expect him too, but the more and more we kept reaching out, the more and more we kept trying to get on him and now look he just committed last week,” Lockhart told Rivals. “That was a big commitment for us and I can’t wait to work with him.

“Coming from Ohio, all the way to California, Los Angeles, you want to make sure he feels welcomed, so I let him know if he ever wants to just visit, regardless of it’s with his family or not with his family he’s always welcomed at my house with my parents," Lockhart continued.

Hill became the fourth, five-star recruit to commit to USC, joining Gainesville (Ga.) linebacker Xavier Griffin, Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) cornerback RJ Sermons and IMG Academy (Fla.) offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe.