4-Star Defensive Lineman Recruit Elijah Harmon Leaning Towards USC Trojans Over Texas?

“They were ready for me to go to USC,” Harmon told On3. “My mom and sister are pretty sentimental people. So just being able to have a heart-to-heart with the coaching staff, they really like it."

“My mom, I think she wants me to go to USC,” Harmon continued. “But at the end of the day, they made it clear to me that it’s my decision.”

It is still early in his recruitment and several schools are pushing for Harmon. The top programs to watch through the process in addition to USC are the Alabama Crimson Tide, Arizona State Sun Devils, Michigan Wolverines, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Texas Longhorns, Oregon Ducks, and the UCLA Bruins. 

USC is heavily pursuing Harmon, looking for him to be the player to kick off their recruiting class of 2027. The Trojans recruited class of 2026 cornerback Brandon Lockhart in 2023, and he has been a big recruiter for the team. USC is looking for Harmon to play a similar role as Lockhart.

Harmon visited USC in March and emphasized the culture within the program. The culture shift within the team has been a factor in USC’s recruitment momentum and the high energy is keeping Harmon interested in the program.

“They definitely seem like a team that’s not focused on what happened last season, their record or how many losses they had. You could tell they just want to continue to grow and don’t care about what everybody else is saying,” Harmon said. “They want to be better because they know the standard at USC and I feel like they’re making the right steps to get there.”

During Harmon's visit with USC, the team had him sit in on meetings with the defensive line unit and coach Eric Henderson. The four-star recruit has the chance to see what the unit is like while watching film. 

Henderson has been a major factor in USC recruiting some top defensive lineman. From the class of 2026, USC received commitments from four-star defensive linemen Simote Katoanga, Jaimeon Winfield, Tomuhini Topui, and Braeden Jones. Harmon could kick off another recruiting class full of defensive line talent.

Harmon is looking to commit somewhere once and stay with that program throughout his collegiate career. He does not have a timetable on when he plans to commit, but wants to make sure whatever his choice is, is the right fit for him. 

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