Lincoln Riley and USC continue to lock down Los Angeles with latest blue-chip commitment

There's been a lot of rumblings about what Bob Cheyney is doing in Westwood, but make no mistake about it — USC is still the King of Los Angeles and this weekend's commitment of 4-star athlete Gavin Williams.

Williams, who plays football in the San Gabriel Valley at Damien High School (La Verne), is a two-way player that currently projects to be a safety in college. He chose the Trojans over Notre Dame, Washington and UCLA.

It's been a parade of in-state and local stars choosing the Trojans in this recruiting cycle as the strategy of placing a major emphasis and large resources into high school recruiting is paying off. The Trojans have 14 players in their current class, with 10 of them in-state prospects, and the majority of those recruits are from southern California. USC has the fourth-ranked class in both 247Sports and Rivals/On3.

4-star athlete Gavin Williams commits to USC.

Williams made his announcement during a live ceremony on Sunday, and it was a decision made with family first in mind. His mother, April McCafferty, is a bus driver for LA Metro and this commitment will keep mother and son close to each other. 

"My mom, my sister, my brothers are all I have. I have to take care of them, so having them close and being able to come out and see me anytime was something I thought a lot about," Williams said to 247Sports after his announcement.

Williams also said he is planning to shut down his recruitment and enjoy his summer before his senior year of high school. It's almost guaranteed that Williams will be hanging around campus from time to time this summer to bond with other commits on their official visits and help sell USC football to uncommitted targets on campus.

Lincoln Riley and USC keep rolling on the trail

USC is coming off of a top-ranked class in the 2026 cycle that featured some big-time prospects like five-star defensive end Luke Wafle, five-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe and five-star defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield. All of these blue-chip recruits are expected to receive significant snaps in the upcoming season. 

Lincoln Riley signed a large class in the last cycle, bringing in 35 recruits with 32 currently enrolled. This class is expected to be much smaller, probably under 20 players, but the quality has been high and current trends have the Trojans finishing with another top-10 class. 

But as the old song goes, 'Mo Money, Mo Problems" or, in this case, it's "Mo Money, Mo Pressure'" USC is giving Riley all the resources he needs to field one heck of a roster. Now he has to deliver on getting the Trojans into the CFP 12-team bracket. The expectations will be high, and the schedule is tough. Trojan fans are ready to experience meaningful games again, and it's going to be on the 2026 team to give them something to cheer about. 

But no one can argue that the past six months have been remarkable for USC on the trail. If these wins in recruiting lead to wins on the scoreboard, it will be money well spent. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow