Nation's No. 1 defensive lineman calls USC 'a dream school' ahead of first visit

Andrew Nemec | Oct 9, 2024

Lincoln Riley was on hand for Folsom's 28-25 home win over Pittsburg in the CIF Northern California 1-A championship game 12/2/2023 / Photo: Dennis Lee

The USC Trojans are set to host a collection of key recruits for this weekend's matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions.

For Summit (California) five-star prospect George Toia, the nation's No. 1 defensive lineman in the class of 2027, the visit will mark his first to USC.

And the 6-foot-2, 305-pound mauler is eager to make it a memorable one - even while keeping a keen eye on USC's coaching.

"i am looking forward to seeing how the coaches handle their coaching during the game," Toia said. "I am just looking forward to meeting all the coaches and excited to see the crowd from down at the field."

in truth, the in-state prospect has long kept an eye on the Trojans.

"USC has always been a dream school to me since i was a little kid, so being able to get a visit is a blessing," Toia said.

It's still very early in the recruitment of Toia, but he already holds double-digit offers, highlighted by Arizona, Arizona State, Miami, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, UCLA and Utah.

Interior defensive line has a been a bit of a recruiting issue for the Trojans in recen years, but the addition of former Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle pledge Floyd Boucard is a viewed as a significant development.

Could that help start a trend that eventually leads to Toia manning the middle in the Coliseum?

Unquestionably, USC is hoping Toia's first visit is the first step in achieving that end.