USC and Lincoln Riley tumbling in the recruiting rankings is nothing to worry about

USC's 2027 recruiting class just took a hit in rankings. They were ranked consistently in the Top 10, which was great to see, but now, the Trojans have dropped down to No. 17 on 247Sports and No. 13 on On3/Rivals. Where did this come from?

The class consists of 18 commits, with two of them being five-star playmakers. The rankings are a steep decrease from their previous recruiting class, which was widely ranked No. 1 to close out 2026.

USC fans don't need to worry about the 2027 class taking a bit of a dive

So, is this something for fans to be concerned about? The short answer is no. It makes sense that the Trojans wouldn't want to go after the top recruits and spend more NIL money than they already did in 2026. This incoming freshmen class is stacked top to bottom. The class features three five-stars, 19 four-stars and 13 three-stars. Considering USC has loads of talent, their next recruiting class doesn't need to be as stacked.

This year, fans should keep an eye on true freshman EDGE Luke Wafle, tight end Mark Bowman and receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. Wafle has been garnering attention after spring practices for his college-ready physique and skill. Dixon-Wyatt joins an already loaded receiver room, so if he's able to stand out, his ceiling is very high. Bowman is expected to get the start at tight end after the spot is left vacant due to Lake McRee entering the draft and Walker Lyons transferring.

The 14 commits that the Trojans have for 2027, compared to the massive haul of 35 from last year, seem like a downgrade, but it's far from that. Since USC has a lot of its bases covered in 2026, it can afford to be more selective for the 2027 class and sign players who are more versatile. On top of that, keep in mind that there's still plenty of time for Riley to keep adding to the class.

USC's 2027 recruiting class is still loaded with talent

Just because the class isn't No. 1, doesn't mean it's not good. The class is headlined by two five-star recruits: athlete Honor Fa'alave-Johnson and EDGE Mekai Brown. Out of the two, Fa'alave-Johnson is the one to watch. He is ranked the No. 1 athlete by 247Sports and On3/Rivals.

Fa'alave-Johnson is exactly the type of player that USC will go after in this recruiting cycle, as he's a dynamic player who can do it all. His main position will be safety, but he can play both sides of the ball well, making him an anomaly. This week, he was at a 7-on-7 tournament called "Battle at the Beach", where he revealed that USC plans to use him on both sides.

"They’re gonna teach me more on defense," Fa'alave-Johnson said via Sports Illustrated. "They're not gonna teach me the whole playbook (on offense) just because it’ll probably be too much but they're gonna get me in the rotation."

USC's planning to use him on defense and offense is something they haven't done since 2016 Jim Thorpe Award winner Adoree' Jackson, but looking at his stats from last season, you can see why they don't want to waste his talent. Fa'alave-Johnson recorded 1,265 rushing yards and had 564 receiving yards. Other than being versatile because he can play at different positions, he can run the ball or make catches. Last season, he had 30 touchdowns, 23 of which were rushing and seven of which were receiving. He also topped out at an insane 22.7 MPH on a touchdown run. On the defensive side, he had three interceptions and 40 total tackles.

Fa'alave-Johnson is clearly a freak athlete and someone who can bolster USC to stardom again. Fans will have to wait another year to watch him, but they can enjoy this year knowing that next season can be potentially better.

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