After a disappointing season that ended with an early conference tournament exit and no NCAA Tournament berth, USC soccer and Head Coach Jane Alukonis have a start in their quest to regain their status as a perennial powerhouse in 2026: the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation. 

The seven-person class, which the team announced in a USC news release Nov. 24, includes two of the top five recruits in the country as well as the No. 1 goalkeeping recruit in the nation, per Prep Soccer.

With the loss of eligibility for graduate goalkeeper Bella Grust, who played nearly every minute in-goal for USC last season, Alukonis added two high-profile goalies in the class including University of Pennsylvania graduate transfer Annabel Austen. Austen is the only transfer in USC’s class.

Austen comes to USC with over 2,500 minutes of collegiate play time and two All-Ivy League First Team selections, experience Alukonis heavily praised in the news release. Though Grust performed admirably down the stretch for the Trojans, saving about 70% of shots last season, Austen is coming off a season where she saved more than 80% of the shots that came her way, albeit in an easier conference.

“The Ivy League is a fantastic league, but it’s also a really good place to serve as a stepping stone to get to the next level,” Austen told The Daily Pennsylvanian. “Going into the Big Ten, that’s one step up, and it’s gonna just get me into more of a pro environment, so that after that, I can keep playing.”

Though Austen is likely to start in-goal this season, the signing of Californian Josie Biehl, the No. 1 goalkeeper and No. 14 player in the class per Top Drawer Soccer, is perhaps more exciting for the future of the program. 

“JB has been one of the premier youth goalkeepers in the country for years,” Alukonis said in the news release. “She’s composed in possession, confident building out of the back and consistently makes game-winning saves. She has all the tools to be a big-time Trojan.”

Biehl was one of two California recruits in the class, alongside forward Rhea Moore, a Sacramento native. The other four Trojan recruits, outside of the transferring Austen, came from the South, with the two highest-profile signings both coming from Texas and the same club team, FC Dallas’ youth team Solar Soccer Club.

Forward Jordan Hill and defender Rhiannon Mahon, Prep Soccer’s No. 3 and 5 ranked recruits, respectively, both come to USC with multiple Elite Club National League honors and significant experience on the United States’ Youth National Teams.

“She loves to score goals, take players on and get in behind defenses,” Alukonis said of Hill in the news release. “She plays with tremendous energy and passion, and her attacking instincts make her an exciting addition to our front line.”

Mahon, who grew up in California, praised the Trojan community and USC’s coaching staff, which she called “truly exceptional,” saying she felt at home in Los Angeles.

“Ever since I was little, I’ve aspired to be part of something as powerful as the Trojan community,” Mahon said in a news release. “Becoming a Trojan is a lifelong dream come true, and I could not be more honored to represent such an institution.”

Defender Ally Griswold, Top Drawer Soccer’s No. 4 player in the Mid-Atlantic Region, as well as forward Alyssa Parsons, the outlet’s No. 42 overall player, are also a part of USC’s top-ranked class.