Georgia, Oregon, Notre Dame Push to Flip USC Trojans 4-Star Commit Brandon Lockhart

Four-star cornerback recruit Brandon Lockhart has been committed to the USC Trojans for over a year, but the 2026 prospect is considering visits to the Georgia Bulldogs, Oregon Ducks, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and UCLA Bruins. Could Lockhart flip away from USC?

USC Trojans commit Brandon Lockhart / Instagram / @tdc.lock

Four-star cornerback recruit Brandon Lockhart committed to the USC Trojans in October of 2023, and the class of 2026 prospect has not been shy about taking visits to other schools despite his pledge to the Trojans.

Most recently, 247Sports' Blair Angulo reported that Lockhart is considering taking visits to Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, and UCLA.

Committing as a sophomore in high school, Lockhart has still taken the time to go through the recruiting process and solidify his decision with USC. The Trojans commit has visited the Oregon Ducks multiple times, and he has also traveled to Georgia to see Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart and his program.

USC Trojans commit Brandon Lockhart / Instagram /@tdc.lock

Lockhart attends Loyola High School in Los Angeles, and the local four-star defensive back has visited USC for multiple games.

Lockhart is a consensus four-star, and he is the No. 5 cornerback recruit in the nation per the On3 Industry Rankings. USC commit RJ Sermons is the No. 2 cornerback in the same rankings, and the Trojans are targeting the No. 3 cornerback, Davon Benjamin.

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Lockhart, Sermons, and Benjamin are all from Southern California, and all three rank within the top-five cornerbacks in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

USC has been hit by the transfer portal, losing key members of the roster like running back Quinten Joyner, offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon, wide receiver Zachariah Branch, and safety Zion Branch. In total, 21 Trojans entered their name in the portal after the 2024 season.

Much has been made about the current state of the USC program under coach Lincoln Riley. When asked about the the number of players entering the portal, Riley remained focused and optimistic about his team.

“I think it’s my job to stay steady and stay committed to the vision and that’s what we’re doing. The best part of the day still remains these practices, these guys are practicing their a** off. Kind of been disappointed each day when I blow the whistle to end practice. Excited about the team, excited about the guys we have out here and obviously excited about the guys that are coming in,” Riley said. 

The Trojans went on to win the Las Vegas Bowl over the Texas A&M Aggies a last-second touchdown. Riley and his staff will look to build on that momentum with the 2026 recruiting class.

According to On3, USC has the No. 2 ranked recruiting class for the 2026 cycle, and Lockhart is the Trojans third-highest rated prospect. USC will have to fight to hold onto Lockhart for the rest of the year. The earliest he can sign is during the Early National Signing Period which won't be until December of 2025.

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