Southern California has a ton of local talent playing on Fridays with USC potential

Focusing on local LA talent affords something of an opportunity for those who follow USC football year-round. This has come to be the emphasis of Trojan recruiting, as this staff wants to ensure that the best players from Southern California in particular do not play their collegiate home games anywhere else but the Coliseum.

One chance that this gives supporters of the program is the ability to watch high school games and see future Trojans on either sideline. Particularly in the Trinity League, there will continue to be a wave of USC commits as long as coach Lincoln Riley and GM Chad Bowden are around campus.

Scouting and reviewing film of highly touted recruits, such as what can be seen in the classes of 2026 and 2027, allows everyone, including coaches, to also take a look at some players who may be under the radar.

In comes Santa Margarita Catholic High School. Tight end Fisher Melton recently announced his commitment to USC for the 2025 season. He lined up against the likes of known defenders from strong nationally ranked programs such as Mater Dei and St. John Bosco.

When evaluating high school skill level, it can be hard to project how a player may do at the collegiate standard of play. This is particularly true when an athlete can simply outsize and outrun people in lower divisions in less competitive regions of the country.

For anyone who follows high school sports, the opposite is what holds true when discussing So. Cal. athletics. This fall, Melton will be in the USC program, looking to prepare himself and stay ready in case his number gets called.

More underrated talents who will play at USC to come

While a lot of attention will be on how coach Riley does in his fourth year at the program this fall, maybe more so than past seasons, Trojan fans should also keep a stronger eye on the local H.S. football team.

Players like Melton may be underrecruited, based on the national rankings, but there is plenty of talent among the programs mentioned in California. And who knows, there could be a future USC member that a spectating fan can potentially brag to their friends about 'seeing something in him' before even the so-called experts do.