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USC Football: Trojans Red Hot on the Recruiting Trail

From NFL legacy recruits to under-the-radar freshmen, we recap some in-person visits and scholarship offers USC sent out this week.

Matt Solorio

USC Football: Trojans Red Hot on the Recruiting Trail
USC Football: Trojans Red Hot on the Recruiting Trail /
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It's that time of year. Recruiting departments from across the country are watching hours of Hudl film, talking to hundreds of high school coaches, trying to find the next Caleb Williams or Zachariah Branch. USC is no different, and this week the coaching staff has been flying all around the country pitching the USC experience. Here is who USC has been courting over the past few days. 

In-Person Visits

St. Thomas Aquinas (Lenexa, KS) 2025 offensive tackle Juju Marks

Lincoln Riley paid the athletic, 6-foot-7, 260-pound lineman a visit at his school on Thursday. USC has been recruiting Marks since May of last year but has yet to get him on campus for a visit. Marks listed USC in his 'top 11' schools list that he put out a few weeks ago, so USC has a pretty good chance at bringing Marks in for an official this offseason. Recruits only get to take five official visits during their recruiting process, so if USC can bring Marks in for one, it would represent a big milestone and very much increase the Trojan's chances of landing Marks. Marks dominated on both sides of the ball during his junior season, but many scouts view him as an offensive tackle prospect. 

Baltimore City College High School (Baltimore, MD) 2025 wide receiver Romero Ison

Lincoln Riley went out to Baltimore to pay the 6-foot, 170-pound Romero Ison a visit upon the conclusion of his incredible junior season that saw Ison rack up over 2,600 yards of total offense, including 69 catches and 20 touchdowns. USC will have to beat out Kentucky, Indiana, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech, and Penn State to land Ison. Per my research, Ison has yet to take any visits, so hopefully that in-person visit from Riley was enough to get Ison on campus this offseason. Check out Ison's electric junior season highlights below.  

Desert Edge (Goodyear, AZ) defensive back Jamar Beal-Goines

USC's new secondary coach Doug Belk went out to the deserts of Arizona to offer the 6-foot, 170-pound cornerback. Jamar Beal-Goines has seen his recruitment take off over the past week or so with Cal, Michigan State, and UCLA extending offers recently. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning went out to Arizona to personally offer Beal-Goines. Beal-Goines is an in-your-face, lockdown corner who loves to get physical at the line of scrimmage. He has the speed to play trail coverage on some of the fastest receivers in Arizona. He would be a great get for Belk's secondary. 

Biggest USC Offers From This Week

Weddington (Matthews, NC) 2026 linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. 

Son of legendary Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis, Thomas Davis Jr. is one of the most talented sophomores in the country. According to 247 Sports, the 4-star prospect is the third-best linebacker in his class and a top-100 player nationally. Schools like Miami, Auburn, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech had already been recruiting him for months before USC entered the picture. They, like USC, all see how well Davis Jr. moves, and how physical he plays. He lined up at both inside and outside linebacker during his sophomore season and is probably one of the best tacklers in the country. 

Weddington (Matthews, NC) 2026 defensive lineman Aidan Harris

Sophomore Aidan Harris plays alongside Thomas Davis Jr. on an elite defensive front at Weedington High School. Harris, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound bendy defensive lineman is a little rough around the edges from a technical perspective, but that hasn't stopped USC, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Boston College, and others from offering him. Schools will be paying close attention to how Harris develops from his sophomore season to his junior season, and if he can work on his tendency to swim over offensive lineman, sky is the limit for him. Harris played mostly at defensive end during his sophomore season, but given he is already at 240 pounds with two years left in high school, he might end up bumping down into the defensive tackle position. Not to say he doesn't have the athleticism to play out on the edge at the next level, because he does. But given his size relative to his age, college coaches might not yet be convinced that defensive end is Harris' true position. 

Tustin (Tustin, CA) 2027 athlete Taven Epps

So far, Cal and USC are the only two players in Taven Epp's recruitment. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound freshman played safety during his freshman season. You read that right, a 6-foot-5 FRESHMAN safety. That seldom, if ever happens. But he played well enough during his first season of high school ball to catch the attention of a ton of programs despite him only having offers from two so far. That number will grow quickly. 

He also played linebacker during his freshman season, and looks like an absolute missle when tracking down the ball carrier. At this point in Epps recruitment, there's no telling what position he will eventually end up playing at the next level, or even for the next three years of high school for that matter. But that's an ode to how dynamic he is as an athlete. He could probably play any position on defense at this point (perhaps with the exception of nose tackle). Epps should garner special attention from the Trojans, especially given he's right in USC's backyard. 

Published
Matt Solorio
MATT SOLORIO

Matt Solorio is a USC Trojans On SI reporter/analyst covering football recruiting, NIL, and other topics. He is also a Recruiting Analyst for Sports Illustrated All-American and an editor at SugarAndSports.com. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he brings a technical approach to his coverage of football recruits. He played defensive end at City College of San Francisco, coached at Archbishop Riordan HS (San Francisco, Calif) is committed to providing USC fans with interesting, informative, and engaging content. 

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