Lincoln Riley has USC football on a recruiting heater

USC's 2025 college football recruiting class took significant steps backward after defensive linemen Isaiah Gibson and Justus Terry decommitted in June. The pair of five-star prospects put a dent in Lincoln Riley's plans to build a defense that rivals his high-performing offense. However, the USC head coach did not let the setbacks stall his attempts to attract elite high school talent to Southern California.

Corey Simms spurns Mizzou and commits to USC.

Four-star wide receiver Corey Simms pledged to play college football in Los Angeles on Monday. The 6-3, 205-pound prospect is a huge gain for Riley and the Trojans offense. Assuming Simms signs, USC will add a big-bodied receiver who is a prime candidate to gain a fifth star during his senior year of high school.

A month ago, we did not think the Trojans could snag Simms' commitment. On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) heavily favored the Saint Louis (MO) prospect to land with Missouri (85.8%). Now, the RPM reflects USC as a 73.5% to sign Simms in December. The receiver made his most recent visit to the Trojans' campus on June 9th.

Five-star quarterback Julian Lewis remains committed to Troy.

The potential of Julian Lewis throwing touchdown passes to Simms gives any Trojan fan chills. The two bonded during their official visit to USC in February. Now, it feels like Simms' commitment to Troy was influenced by the prospect of playing with Lewis.

Riley has retained Lewis's commitment despite the quarterback's recent visits to Auburn and Colorado. The five-star prospect continues advertising his desire to play for the USC head coach and confirming his pledge to Troy.

We're still several months from the early National Signing Day, and Lewis will likely make additional visits. Either way, the quarterback's recruitment trail feels more like he's satisfying wonder than seeking a better opportunity. Lewis recently told recruiting analysts that his official visits to other programs are to remove questions about "what could have been."

Riley adds a giant to his future offensive line.

Big-bodied offensive linemen remain a staple of Lincoln Riley's offenses. But on Tuesday, the USC football head coach added his biggest trench player yet.

After considering an offer from Washington, offensive tackle Elijah Vaikona committed to play football for Riley's Trojans. If he signs, the 6-8, 370-pound lineman will become the largest lineman on USC's roster. Moreover, the Santa Margarita Catholic (CA) prospect factors into the Trojans' future plans along the offensive front.

Securing the pledge of a top-100 California high school player is a positive step toward Riley establishing recruiting dominance in the state.

On a negative note, safety Hylton Stubbs decommitted from the Trojans on Tuesday. The Mandarin (FL) prospect committed to USC in March but was a long shot to sign with Troy. Stubbs has recently spent more time signing the praises of Florida and Miami in recent months.