Lincoln Riley, USC Trojans To Land Four-Star Felix Ojo Over Texas Longhorns?

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley traveled to Texas to visit top recruits. Among the visits was four-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo. The class of 2026 recruit has also had interest from the Texas Longhorns.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian leads warm ups prior to the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 10, 2025. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the USC Trojans continue to recruit the class of 2026, coach Lincoln Riley traveled to Texas to visit some of the top targets. One stop included Mansfield (Tx.) to visit four-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo.

Ojo is the No. 71 player in the nation, the No. 8 offensive tackle, and the No. 9 player from the state of Texas, per the On3 Industry Rankings. Ojo competed in the 2025 Navy All-American Bowl on the West Team. Having the opportunity to participate demonstrates the caliber of player he is.

He is the target for a number of top schools such as the Texas Longhorns. Ojo has had unofficial visits with a couple of schools. His last unofficial visit was with the Longhorns on Jan. 25 and has an official visit scheduled for June 13. 

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian leads warm ups prior to the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 10, 2025. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ojo has not visited USC yet, but may after this visit from Riley. USC did offer Ojo back in May. After Riley met with the four-star prospect, Ojo spoke to On3 about Riley and USC.

“It was a great time with Coach Riley,” Ojo told On3. “We were just talking ball the whole time and schemes.”

Ojo went on to discuss what he likes about the USC Trojans and what could keep them in the running for one of the top offensive tackles.

“What makes USC a good potential fit is the way they run their offense and the type of schemes Coach Riley runs that favors tackles,” Ojo said. “Also what continues to impress me about USC is the culture they have there.”

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USC has the chance to compete with Texas, Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Michigan among others for Ojo. The next step will be to get the offensive tackle out to Southern California for a visit. 

USC has been having a strong recruiting process for the class of 2026. The Trojans have the No. 2 national ranking only behind the No. 1 Oregon Ducks. USC has received five commitments from four-star players thus far, linebacker Xavier Griffin, cornerback RJ Sermons, cornerback Brandon Lockhart, running back Shahn Alston, and defensive lineman Braeden Jones. 

USC has yet to receive a commitment from an offensive lineman but has offered 14 tackles, ten of which are four-star players, and only one has committed to another school. 

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One factor that Ojo may be looking for when deciding schools is when he can start. What appeals to him about the Texas Longhorns is the potential to start early there.

“What continues to excite me about my opportunity with Texas is how Coach Flood sees me fitting in their offense and the chance of coming in early to compete for the starting job,” Ojo told On3 about Texas. 

It is still early in the process for Ojo. He will likely take his time to make official visits before deciding. Ohio State and Michigan are two teams that Ojo has said will likely get an official visit too. Early in the process, he is favored to pick the Texas Longhorns, but Riley and the Trojans will still push for the four-star recruit.

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