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USC Trojans Recruiting: USC in Contention for Trio of Coveted Prospects

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley and his staff have started to pick up momentum on the recruiting trail following USC's huge victory over LSU on Sunday night.

Randall Sweet

Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley
Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley / kirby lee-usa today sports
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On Sunday night, coach Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans scored a huge 27-20 victory over the LSU Tigers in Las Vegas.

Southern California is already reaping the benefits of its success in Week One on the recruiting trail, as a pair of top high school prospects have included USC in their top schools list and another recruit has set a visit to Los Angeles.

As Riley and the Trojans continue their inaugural season as members of the Big Ten conference, the team will have the opportunity to impress even more coveted high school prospects as the year progresses.

1- On Sunday evening, 4-star Tupelo (MS) defensive lineman JaReylan McCoy revealed his top six schools with USC, LSU, Oregon, Tennessee, Kentucky and Oklahoma making the cut.

"USC is USC. That 'V' doesn't mean 'victory' for no reason," said McCoy to Rivals. "Coach(Eric) Henderson, Coach(Anthony) Jones, Coach(D'Anton) Lynn. They text me every other day sending me messages, checking on me, and sending motivation. That plays a big part in our relationship. They think I can be a big part of the team. Even Lincoln Riley texts me every chance he gets to be a part of USC football, and that plays a big role, too. The top guys play at USC, so I feel like a neighborhood how they've offered me. It feels like I've accomplished something being from a small city."

USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley
Jul 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Like McCoy, Riley also comes from a "small town". Southern California's head coach was born and raised in Muleshoe, TX, a city of just over 5,000 resident around 68 miles outside of Lubbock.

Listed at 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, McCoy is ranked the No. 56 overall prospect and No. 4 defensive lineman in the nation, according to On3. Also a standout on the basketball court, McCoy has elite size and athleticism, which could help the Trojans' transition into the Big 10 conference.

Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the first half against the LSU Tigers
Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the first half against the LSU Tigers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

If Riley and company are able to land a pledge from McCoy, he would become the sixth player in the 2026 recruiting class to verbally commit to USC. The Trojans currently hold commitments from 4-star linebacker Xavier Griffin, 4-star defensive back Brandon Lockhart, 4-star wide receiver Ja'Myron Baker, 3-star athlete Joshua Holland and 3-star cornerback Madden Riordan in the upcoming cycle.

2 - On Tuesday, 4-star Atascocita (TX) running back Cardae Mack trimmed his list to 10 schools, with USC, Texas Tech, Houston, SMU, Texas A&M, Mississippi, Oregon, TCU, Missouri and Tennessee remaining in contention.

Listed at 5-9 and 195 pounds, Mack is rated the No. 203 overall prospect and No. 22 running back in the 2026 recruiting class, according to On3. The tailback from Houston is poised for a big junior season after accumulating 1,370 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 9.26 yards per carry as well as 244 receiving yards and three more scores through the air.

3 - Later on Tuesday, 4-star Lucas Lovejoy (TX) wide receiver Daylan McCutcheon announced that he is planning to visit Southern California on Oct. 12 for the Trojans showdown against Penn State.

Rated the No. 79 overall prospect and No. 12 wide receiver in the 2025 recruiting class, per On3, McCutcheon would be a huge addition for Riley and company.

The Dallas-area product is currently committed to Florida State and will visit Tallahassee in late November, but with the Seminoles getting off to an 0-2 start to their 2024 campaign, USC will have an opportunity to flip McCutcheon's commitment, especially with a win on Oct. 12.

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Randall Sweet

RANDALL SWEET

Randall Sweet is a Staff Writer for Sports Illustrated covering the Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, USC Trojans, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets. Since graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in journalism, Randall has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports across the country as a credentialed media member. While in college, Randall wrote for the OU Daily and logged bylines in The Norman Transcript in addition to working with Sooner Sports Pad and OU Nightly. Following his time at OU, Randall served as the Communications Coordinator at Visit Oklahoma City before leaving to join the team at Sports Illustrated.

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