USC Trojans Visit, Push For 5-Star Recruits Brandon Arrington, Elbert Hill Commitments

The USC Trojans were out visiting two of the top recruits in the 2026 cycle on Tuesday. Lincoln Riley made the trip to Ohio to see Archbishop Hoban (OH) five-star cornerback Elbert Hill, while defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn and defensive backs coach Doug Belk were down in San Diego County to see Mount Miguel (CA) five-star athlete Brandon Arrington.
Nov 26, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley celebrates after the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Nov 26, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley celebrates after the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans coaching staff can’t be everywhere at once, but they can certainly try. Several members of the Trojans staff ventured around Georgia on Monday, visiting several blue-chip prospects, including Gainesville four-star linebacker and USC commit Xavier Griffin ahead of his return visit to campus this upcoming weekend for Junior Day.  

On Tuesday, they branched off, Riley went up to Ohio to visit Archbishop Hoban (OH) five-star cornerback Elbert Hill, while defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn and defensive backs Doug Belk returned to Southern California and went down to San Diego County to visit Mount Miguel five-star athlete Brandon Arrington. 

Lynn made an in-home visit with Hill last week and then the top-ranked cornerback in the 2026 cycle made his first visit to USC’s campus with his family this past weekend. Hill raved about his time in Los Angeles and ensured he will be returning sometime in the spring for an official visit. 

"USC is definitely getting an official visit," Hill told On3. "I had a great time and I will definitely be back for an official visit. Who wouldn't want to spend more time in L.A.? USC is a great place and I had a great time on my visit."

Hill has suitors from almost every top program in the country, but Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon and Penn State have stood out in the process. However, after a successful visit with USC, the Trojans have certainly inserted themselves in the mix.

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The Trojans have made it clear they intend to bring in a lot of defensive backs in the 2026 cycle. They have commitments from two of the top five cornerbacks in the On3 Industry Rankings, Rancho Cucamonga (CA) four-star RJ Sermons and Loyola (CA) four-star Brandon Lockhart. St. John Bosco (CA) three-star athlete Joshua Holland and Sierra Canyon (CA) three-star athlete Madden Riordan project to play on the defensive side of the ball at the next level. USC will also continue to target Oaks Christian (CA) four-star cornerback Davon Benjamin, the No. 3 cornerback in the On3 Industry Rankings.

Arrington is a two-way standout that could play on either side of the ball, but the Trojans could also project him as a defensive player with Lynn visiting him twice this month and Belk joining him on Tuesday. USC continues to make the highly touted recruit a priority with Texas A&M and Oregon in pursuit of the No. 1 athlete and No. 8 overall prospect for the 2026 cycle.

Riley visited a couple of more recruits while he was in Ohio, including Harvey four-star running back and USC commit Shahn Alston and Glenville four-star linebacker Cincere Johnson. Alston announced his pledge earlier this month during the Navy All-American Bowl. Running backs coach Anthony Jones also paid Alston a visit on Sunday night. He is the No. 13 running back and No. 137 overall prospect.

"There's a tradition with USC football," Alston told ESPN. "You can't talk about the history of college football without the tradition of USC. It's getting back to being that place. I believe in Lincoln Riley and I believe in that coaching staff. They're moving it in the right direction."

Riley is the second USC coach to visit Johnson in the last week. Lynn stopped by a week ago while visiting several schools in Ohio. Johnson is the No. 8 linebacker and No. 115 overall prospect. Ohio State and Notre Dame have emerged as the favorites for the coveted linebacker, but like Hill, USC is working to put themselves in the mix and establish a recruiting footprint in the state of Ohio.

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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.