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USC Trojans, LSU Tigers Emerge as Favorites for California 5-Star Recruit Havon Finney Jr.

The USC Trojans and LSU Tigers have emerged as the favorites to land Sierra Canyon (Calif.) five-star cornerback Havon Finney Jr. Can Trojans coach Lincoln Riley and his staff prevent the coveted defensive back from leaving the state of California?

Kendell Hollowell

Oct 21, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Utah Utes in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Oct 21, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Utah Utes in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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The USC Trojans have built a strong recruiting pipeline between them and nearby Sierra Canyon (Calif.) high school. USC currently has four players on its roster that come from the prominent high school and two commits for the 2026 cycle in three-star athlete Madden Riordan and receiver Ja’Myron Baker. They are in hot pursuit of another one in five-star cornerback Havon Finney Jr. 

Finney is down in the Lone Star State this weekend competing in the Overtime OT7 Spring League, where he has been a standout playing for South Florida Express. The Southern California native discussed where the Trojans stand with his recruitment. 

Lincoln riley
Oct 21, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Utah Utes in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“I can see they’re building a great program right now,” Finney told On3. “They got a lot of great recruits right now, and they’re building a great program over there.”

Finney reclassified earlier this month from the 2027 class to the 2026, which has sped everything up in his recruiting process. He will take an official visit with USC starting June 17. Finney was on campus in early February for the Trojans Junior Day event and raved about the time he spent checking out his hometown school. 

“The environment was great,” Finney told On3. “They were able to show us what the future of USC will be after the construction is done. The coaches were very detailed in what their expectations are from incoming players and I was able to speak directly with the new cornerbacks coach (Trovon Reed), Coach (Doug) Belk, and Coach Riley. What excites me most about playing for USC is having the opportunity to play in front of the city that raised me.”

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The local prospect made national headlines when he was offered a scholarship by Nevada when he was just nine years old. He is still unofficially the youngest recipient of a college football scholarship offer. And while it’s almost impossible to project where a preteen will stand by the time they reach high school, it’s safe to say Finney was more than worthy of the hype. 

Now, the coveted defensive back has drawn interest from blue blood programs across the country, including LSU. Tigers cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond is making a push for Finney and has quite the resume to present a strong recruiting pitch. The longtime defensive backs coach has produced several first round picks, including cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr. and Tre’Davious White and safety Jamal Adams.

brian kelly
Nov 30, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly looks on against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second quarter at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

LSU has an extensive list of defensive backs playing in the NFL that have been coached by Raymond and the Tigers have certainly caught the attention of Finney. He will take his official visit with LSU starting June 20. 

Riordan is making a strong push for not only Finney, but another one of his high school teammates in five-star edge Richard Wesley, who also reclassified earlier this month from the 2027 class to the 2026. “Stay home and be a part of something special,” Riordan said.

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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.

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