Led by commits such as Esun Tafa, USC aims to restore Trojan glory from within

In order for USC to be the program everyone knows that it can be, it starts from within. Among members of the class of 2026 especially, they are placing the onus on themselves to make sure that the Trojans are going to be in a position to compete against the best teams in the nation for a long time to come.

Trojan commit Esun Tafa has consistently been one of the future USC players that have done what they can to help out on the recruiting side of things while also making themselves available to share their thoughts on the state of the current program and what they hope to bring once they arrive on campus.

While speaking with Sports Illustrated's Kendell Hollowell, the offensive lineman discussed some of the aspects as to why this coach Lincoln Riley staff are continuing to pull in top talent in the future high school classes.

It has very little, if anything, to do with playing time, money, or being given any other number of false promises. Instead, this wave of commitments is more about how USC is approaching what matters when a student-athlete is preparing to make this critical decision.

They want to know that there is a good foundation in place and that the overall team environment will allow for everyone to grow together. Particularly for USC fans who remember the national championship days, seeing the increased presence and outreach within the Polynesian community is an excellent aspect to see again.

For Tafa, being able to come to Los Angeles and wear the Cardinal and Gold with the likes of Talanoa Ili and Tomuhini Topui has played a huge part in the excitement among this class to eventually arrive on campus.

During the interview, Tafa shared:

"With this ‘26 class, we all feel it. I don’t really know how to explain it, except we are determined to get back that Natty. We want to honor the USC legacy and add to it."

This type of statement is exactly what needs to reverberate throughout the building and is a large part of the reason there is so much anticipation for the incoming top classes.

Everyone knows that the standard has not been met within recent memory. Fortunately for USC, they will have players like Tafa coming in, knowing what was and what is possible to achieve again in Los Angeles.