5-Star Elbert Hill To Commit To USC Trojans, Lincoln Riley? Plans Return Visit

Archbishop Hoban (OH) five-star cornerback Elbert Hill made the trip out west with his family to visit the USC Trojans this weekend. The Trojans made an impression on Hill and the highly coveted prospect will return in the spring for an official visit.
Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Archbishop Hoban (OH) five-star cornerback Elbert Hill visited the USC Trojans on Saturday with his family. Hill spent time with USC coaching staff, including Lincoln Riley and new linebackers coach Rob Ryan, who the Trojans hired last weekend. The highly coveted defensive back left campus impressed by what the Trojans had to offer and has planned a return visit to Los Angeles later in the spring. 

Hill is the No. 1 cornerback and No. 17 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings. His visit to USC comes on the same week defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn made an in-home visit.

It will take a lot to pull Hill out of his home state with Ohio State considered the favorite to land the elite blue-chip prospect. He is also being heavily pursued by a number of programs like Penn State, Alabama, Oregon and Michigan. 

USC have made Hill a priority despite having have commitments from two of the top ranked cornerbacks in the 2026 cycle, Rancho Cucamonga (CA) four-star RJ Sermons and Loyola (CA) four-star Brandon Lockhart. Sermons is the No. 2 cornerback, and Lockhart is the No. 5 cornerback in the On3 Industry Rankings.

The Trojans are also in pursuit of Mount Miguel (CA) five-star athlete Brandon Arrington, the two-way standout could end up playing on either side of the ball at the next level. Arrington is the top-ranked athlete in the 2026 cycle. 

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USC has also targeted Oaks Christian (CA) four-star Davon Benjamin, the No. 3 cornerback. The Trojans would consistently play at least four players in the two outside cornerback positions and sometimes two at the nickel spot this past season, so depth in the cornerback room is essential under Lynn. 

The Trojans currently have eight commitments for their No. 2 ranked recruiting class in the 2026 cycle. Riley and the Trojans staff has been very busy since the winter ‘contact period’ opened on Jan. 6.

They spent the first couple of weeks venturing around California as they continue to put an emphasis on dominating recruiting in their own backyard. This past week the coaching staff moved outside of the state to visit several prospects, from Idaho to Ohio down to Florida. 

The Trojans will be hosting its annual Junior Day event on Feb. 1, headlined by Gainesville (GA) four-star linebacker and USC commit Xavier Griffin. It will be his fifth trip out to Los Angeles. With several schools in the south try to prevent the highly touted prospect from leaving the region, USC will continue to make it a priority to bring Griffin out west as often as possible between now and the Early National Signing Period in December. 

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Kendell Hollowell
KENDELL HOLLOWELL

Kendell Hollowell, a Southern California native has been been covering collegiate athletics since 2020 via radio and digital journalism. His experience includes covering programs such as the USC Trojans, Vanderbilt Commodores and Alabama Crimson Tide. Kendell He also works in TV production for the NFL Network. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kendell was a collegiate athlete on the University of Wyoming and Adams State football team. He is committed to bringing in-depth insight and analysis for USC athletics.