Headlined by a flip of four-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, the first day of NCAA football’s Early Signing Period couldn’t have gone much better for Head Coach Lincoln Riley and company.

When the dust settled Wednesday, Dixon-Wyatt joined all 34 of the existing commits to sign letters of intent with USC, including the Trojan class’s lone five-star prospect, offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe, securing USC the consensus No. 1 recruiting class in the country. With the historic recruiting class, USC became the first non-SEC program to have the No. 1-ranked group since the 2008 Miami Hurricanes.

USC only lost one marquee commit this recruiting cycle, No. 1-ranked Junior College cornerback Jakwon Morris, who flipped to Illinois in late November. The success comes after 10 commits flipped away from USC last season, including multiple top-100 recruits.

Though USC did not hold its standard news conference for the Early Signing Period, as it announced in a social media post Tuesday, it told fans to “stay tuned for January 2026.”

California recruiting a priority for Riley

Four-star tight end Mark Bowman, a local Mater Dei High School product who is 247 Sports’ 42nd-ranked prospect and the third-highest-ranked tight end in the class, was the last Trojan to send his official papers Wednesday night. He had previously been tied to multiple SEC schools, including Texas, Georgia and Ole Miss, as well as Oregon’s Southern California recruitment prowess, before committing to the Trojans in May. 

Outside of Bowman, USC signed 19 California recruits in its top class, including eight from Trinity League schools — a highly competitive Southern California high school conference widely regarded as one of the best in the country — three of which came from Mater Dei. 

The increased numbers, which follow USC signing just five total recruits from the Trinity League in its last four classes, showcased Riley’s efforts to recruit locally; out-of-state schools, particularly Oregon, have been known to poach high-quality local talent in areas the Trojans used to dominate. 

Seven of 247 Sports’ top 25 prospects in the state signed with USC, while no other school signed more than four. Even with Oregon having less of a hold over California recruitment than they have in previous years, the program still had the No. 2-ranked class by 247 Sports, led by three five-star recruits.

Dixon-Wyatt, 247 Sports’ sixth-ranked receiver in the class, was committed to No. 1-ranked Ohio State before announcing his flip Wednesday morning, which he attributed to the efforts of his high school teammates — including Bowman along with fellow four-star wide receiver Ethan “Boobie” Feaster, 247 Sports’ No. 10 wideout.

“They were pushing for me,” Dixon-Wyatt told Rivals. “I got on the phone with [Riley] and had a good conversation, but my friends do what they do.”

With the potential of both current USC junior wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane declaring for the NFL Draft, the signing of the two Mater Dei products as well as two other four-star wideouts, Trent Mosely and Luc Weaver — 247 Sports’ No. 43 and No. 49 positionally, respectively — may help fill the holes next to standout freshman Tanook Hines.

USC signs 15 frontmen, roughly half of class

Pepe, the consensus No. 1 tackle in the class and 247 Sports’ No. 5 overall player, leads the way for the Trojan class and was the first five-star offensive lineman to sign with USC since 2017. 

On top of Pepe, 15 of USC’s 35 commits are either offensive or defensive linemen, including defensive tackle Jaimeon Winfield, edge rusher Luke Wafle and offensive guard Esun Tafa — all four-star signees that are among the Trojans’ top 12-ranked recruits, per 247 Sports.

While USC is expected to retain most of its main offensive linemen — outside of backup center J’Onre Reed, who used his final year of eligibility in 2025 — the unit was significantly banged up throughout the season, forcing multiple backups to step up. The added depth should either help the O-line, should injuries pop up again next year, or help fill the void if multiple linemen leave in the transfer portal like last season.

The current Trojan defensive line is already loaded with young talent, including the 2025 recruiting cycle headliner, freshman Jahkeem Stewart. However, the unit struggled to pressure opposing quarterbacks and stop the run late into the season, so the reinforcements should help an already young group develop under third-year Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn.

Adding to another young unit, the Trojans signed a pair of four-star running backs in Deshonne Redeaux and Shahn Alston, 247 Sports’ No. 6 and 12 ranked RBs, respectively, after redshirt senior Eli Sanders’ eligibility ran out last season and sophomore Bryan Jackson declared for the transfer portal earlier this week. Junior Waymond Jordan and redshirt freshman King Miller are likely to take most of the reps next season, though Redeaux and Alston are likely to be in the mix for backup snaps.

QB Jonas Williams has superstar potential

After losing five-star quarterback Juju Lewis at the last minute before flipping a five-star QB of their own in Husan Longstreet in a high-profile switcheroo last year, the Trojans’ hunt for a new signal caller has been quieter this cycle. 

Four-star Illinois quarterback Jonas Williams, the No. 9 QB and No. 2 Illinois player in the class per 247 Sports, is the lone signal caller in USC’s 2026 class. While he is likely to sit behind at least one of redshirt junior Jayden Maiava or Longstreet, Williams’ game is expected to transfer well to Division I football once he gets his shot. Maiava is widely speculated to leave for the NFL, though if he stays, Longstreet may be incentivized to enter the transfer portal rather than spend a second year as a backup.

“[He] projects as a potential multi-year starter at the Power Four level that can thrive in an up-tempo attack,” 247 Sports analyst Andrew Ivins wrote in an analysis of Williams. “On the younger side for the grade, which signals best football is likely ahead of him.”

Though the Trojans picked up a few highly anticipated defensive recruits like four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili, the fifth-ranked linebacker in the class per 247 Sports, and two four-star cornerbacks in Elbert Hill and Brandon Lockhart, ranked No. 7 and 24 positionally, they will have a lot to replace.

Redshirt senior safety Bishop Fitzgerald and redshirt junior safety Kamari Ramsey are both likely to declare for the NFL Draft, though Fitzgerald’s eligibility is already up anyway. Redshirt senior cornerbacks Prophet Brown and DeCarlos Nicholson, as well as standout redshirt senior linebacker Eric Gentry, are all at the ends of their eligibility as well.

Though USC’s defense under Lynn improved significantly later on in the season, particularly in multiple dominant second-half performances, the secondary’s struggles were on full display in the Trojans’ losses to Illinois and Oregon. Despite the influx of young talent, USC is expected to turn to the transfer portal for at least one or two key secondary pieces.