Georgia Bulldogs 4-Star Commit Vance Spafford Visiting USC Trojans for Junior Day

Mission Viejo (CA) 2026 four-star receiver and Georgia Bulldogs commit Vance Spafford will visit the USC Trojans on Feb. 1 for Junior Day, he announced on Sunday. The Trojans offered the highly touted recruit earlier this month. Can USC flip Spafford?
Georgia coach Kirby Smart takes the field with his team before the start of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart takes the field with his team before the start of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. / Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mission Viejo (CA) four-star wide receiver Vance Spafford will visit the USC Trojans on Feb. 1 for Junior Day, he announced on Twitter Sunday. The talented pass-catcher committed to the Georgia Bulldogs in November after he was blown away on his visit to Athens in the fall. Spafford is the No. 13 receiver and No. 76 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings. 

USC is late to the mix, having just offered Spafford earlier this month, but Lincoln Riley and the Trojans staff will continuously push for the local prospect from now until the early national signing period in December. Spafford plays his high school ball an hour away from USC’s campus.

The Trojans hired Chad Savage from Colorado State to be the tight ends and inside receivers coach, and he could be a new factor in Spafford’s recruitment. Local high school coaches have raved Savage during his time with the Rams. USC also made a potentially program-changing move when they hired Chad Bowden away from Notre Dame to be their new general manager. 

As the Trojans prioritize local recruiting for the 2026 cycle, they have pulled out of all the stops to make sure they have the right staff in place to finish with their highest ranked class in almost a decade. USC currently has the No. 2 class in the On3 Industry Rankings, the last time they finished inside the top 5 was in 2018. 

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“Obviously they’re bolstering their off field recruiting department and landed one of the best in college football,” said Steve Wiltfong of On3. “Chad helped turn Notre Dame a back into a national title contender. He was the right hand man, the extension of the head football coach (Marcus Freeman) and the message on the trail.

Gainesville (GA) four-star linebacker and USC commit Xavier Griffin will also be on campus next weekend. It will be his fifth time out in Los Angeles. The highly coveted linebacker was was in attendance at the Coliseum twice in the fall, on Sept. 9 against Utah State and Nov. 16 against Nebraska. Griffin is the No. 2 linebacker and No. 24 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings.

Lincoln Riley
Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

USC hosted a couple of elite Midwest recruits this weekend. Archbishop Hoban (OH) five-star cornerback Elbert Hill made the trip out west, the same week defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn visited him in Ohio. Hill is the No. 1 cornerback and No. 17 overall prospect for the 2026 cycle. Hill was impressed during his time on campus and will return sometime in the spring for an official visit.

Class Technical (MI) four-star receiver CJ Sadler was offered by the Trojans when he visited this week and raved about his time on campus. Sadler is the No. 16 receiver and No. 98 overall prospect. He is the teammate of 2025 USC four-star cornerback signee Alex Graham.

"Overall USC is a great spot," Sadler told On3. "Alex Graham a former Cass Tech guy he just enrolled in December. That's my guy. He was telling me a lot of things about USC."

Harper Woods (MI) receiver Dakota Guerrant was also on campus. He is the No. 2 receiver and No. 22 overall prospect in the 2027 recruiting cycle.

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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.