Lincoln Riley, USC Trojans Staff Visit Recruits in Georgia: Xavier Griffin, Anthony Davis, Tyler Atkinson

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley and his coaching staff hit the recruiting trail on Monday, visiting several top prospects from the state of Georgia, including five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson, and four-star linebackers Xavier Griffin and Anthony Davis.
Sep 21, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA;  USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Sep 21, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley and his staff, including defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, defensive line coach Eric Henderson, linebackers coach Rob Ryan and defensive backs coach Doug Belk were back on the road Monday after a successful recruiting weekend.

They paid a visit to several top prospects in the 2026 cycle from the state of Georgia, Gainesville four-star linebacker and USC commit Xavier Griffin, Grayson five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson and four-star linebacker Anthony Davis, Buford four-star safety Nassir McCoy and Greater Atlanta Christian School four-star edge rusher Dre Quinn.

Griffin has been committed to the Trojans since the summer and several schools from the south have been trying to keep one of the top recruits in the 2026 cycle from heading out west. He is the No. 2 linebacker and No. 24 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings.

After losing a number of recruits from the southeast in the 2025 cycle, the Trojans have made it a priority to consistently make their way out to the Peach State, as well as bringing Griffin to Los Angeles as many times as possible from now until the early national signing period in December. Griffin will visit USC for the fifth time this upcoming weekend for Junior Day. 

“My commitment to USC is still locked in,” Griffin told On3. “The biggest things that keep me committed to USC are the great coaches, the development, the fan base and L.A. There is not a lot not to like about L.A. The guys coaching me on my side of the ball have coached where I want to go, so that is big for me too.”

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Atkinson is the top-ranked linebacker in the 2026 cycle and No. 9 overall prospect. The highly touted is being heavily pursued almost every top program in the country. Three SEC schools have been considered the favorites, Georgia, Auburn and Alabama, but a visit from the Trojans certainly left an impression on Atkinson. 

However, the Trojans have emerged as one of the favorites to land his teammate, Davis, along with Auburn, Tennessee and Texas. Davis visited USC once in the fall to watch them play Penn State on Oct. 12 and plans to return next fall. The No. 19 linebacker and No. 237 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings raved about the Trojans last month. 

“I feel like the people around the program, people around the community are just really good people and they buy in to the football,” Davis told On3. “They want to win, so I see that thing building up to how it used to be.”

Georgia and Auburn have emerged as the favorites for McCoy, but the Trojans will continue to push to pull him out of SEC country. McCoy is the No. 18 safety and No. 217 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings. 

Quinn is a fast riser in the 2026 cycle, the Trojans were one out cof a series of offers for the Atlanta native this past week. With the USC staff venturing around Georgia, they made sure visiting Quinn was one of their stops. Quinn is the No. 25 edge and No. 254 overall prospect.

USC hosted several top prospects this past weekend and left an impression. Archbishop Hoban (OH) five-star cornerback Elbert Hill made his first trip to Los Angeles with his family. The top-ranked cornerback is being pursued by some of the top Big Ten programs, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Michigan. The Trojans have certainly put themselves in the race for Hill. He will return sometime in the spring for an official visit.

"USC is definitely getting an official visit," Hill told On3. "I had a great time and I will definitely be back for an official visit. Who wouldn't want to spend more time in L.A.? USC is a great place and I had a great time on my visit.

Cass Technical (MI) four-star receiver CJ Sadler picked up an offer on his visit with USC. The high school teammate of 2025 cornerback signee Alex Graham also raved about his time on campus.

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

" I can see myself going there but it's a process," Sadler continued.

USC will host an important Junior Day recruiting event this weekend. In addition to Griffin, Mission Viejo (CA) four-star receiver and Georgia commit Vance Spafford will also be on campus. Spafford committed to the Bulldogs back in November. The Trojans were not a factor in that decision, having just offered the speedy wideout earlier this month. USC will be making a push to keep one of the top prospects in the 2026 cycle from leaving the state. Spafford plays his high school football an hour away from the Trojans campus. 

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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.