USC Trojans, Auburn Emerge Recruiting Favorites For 4-Star Linebacker Anthony Davis

The USC Trojans are making a strong push to land Loganville (GA) Grayson four-star linebacker Anthony Davis in the 2026 recruiting cycle. USC currently has the No. 2 recruiting class for 2026, per the On3 Industry Rankings.
Loganville (GA) Grayson 2026 linebacker Anthony Davis / Instagram
Loganville (GA) Grayson 2026 linebacker Anthony Davis / Instagram / @ant2fye

The USC Trojans are making a strong push for Loganville (GA) Grayson four-star linebacker Anthony Davis. The junior linebacker is the No. 19 linebacker and No. 236 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Davis narrowed his list to 12 schools, but four have emerged as his favorites.

"All 12 schools on my list have an equal shot, but Texas, Auburn, USC and Tennessee are really coming hard," Davis told On3. "I went to games at each school, all four want me to visit again soon and I am talking to all four schools a lot. These four are definitely up there."

Anthony Davis
Loganville (GA) Grayson 2026 linebacker Anthony Davis / Instagram / @ant2fye

Davis was in town for an official visit to back in October to watch the Trojans take on Penn State. Despite the loss, he called the game-day atmosphere at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum "electric".

"Auburn and USC are recruiting me the hardest," Davis told On3. "They are on me very hard. I was at Auburn for two games and they were great. I have visited Auburn 7-8 times. Auburn is building something and I can see it. They have a plan, they have a great staff and they aren't afraid to play early.

"I was USC at Penn State and it was a great experience. It was a two-day visit and they went over a lot of things with me, they showed me how I would fit and it was great," continued Davis.

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In addition to Auburn, Davis has taken numerous trips to Knoxville to visit Tennessee because of its close proximity to home. Auburn is less than 140 miles and Knoxville is less than 250 miles from Davis' hometown of Loganville.

The Trojans have been frequent visitors in Georgia. They signed four players from the Peach State in the 2025 cycle, offensive tackle Alex Payne, safety Kendarius Reddick, safety Stephen Miller and cornerback James Johnson. 

Lincoln Riley
Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

USC currently has the No. 2 recruiting class behind the Oregon Ducks in the 2026 recruiting cycle, per the On3 Industry Rankings. They have seven commitments, including Gainesville (GA) linebacker Xavier Griffin, Rancho Cucamonga (CA) cornerback RJ Sermons, Loyola (CB) Brandon Lockhart, Mount Carmel (IL) defensive lineman Braedon Jones, Los Alamitos (CA) receiver Ja’Myron Baker, St. John Bosco (CA) athlete Joshua Holland and Sierra Canyon (CA) athlete Madden Riordan.

Griffin is the No. 24 overall prospect, Sermons is the No. 27 overall prospect and Lockhart is the No. 57 overall prospect in the 2026 class. The early national signing period is a long way away, but USC has hot on the recruiting trail. 

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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.