USC’s push to keep its receiver pipeline rolling into 2028 has put Malachi Lee squarely in the mix.
The four-star wideout announced a top 12 on Sept. 1, and the Trojans were among the schools that survived the cut. USC offered Lee in May, though he has not visited campus yet. Still, there’s movement on that front: per On3/Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett, a game day visit to Southern Cal is in the works.
Lee’s list also includes OSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Rutgers, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Wisconsin, Miami, North Carolina and Tennessee.
At 6-2, 185 pounds, Lee arrives with the kind of national profile that makes him a major name on USC’s board. He holds a unanimous four-star rating and is ranked No. 67 nationally by 247Sports and No. 49 by On3/Rivals. He’s also rated among the top 10 receivers by 247Sports, On3/Rivals and ESPN, and is viewed as one of the top two players in Virginia.
He’ll play his junior season at Loudoun Sports Academy in Leesburg, Va., after spending his first two high school years at Westfield High. Lee made his varsity debut as a freshman and was all over the field in 2024, appearing in 12 games with 14 catches for 253 yards, 76 carries for 604 yards, three touchdowns, nine total tackles and an interception, according to MaxPreps.
The follow-up was even louder. In 2025, he posted 69 receptions for 978 yards, added 11 carries for 40 yards and scored 12 total touchdowns on offense.
He also made his mark as a defensive back with 57 total tackles, seven interceptions, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. On special teams, he chipped in 129 kickoff return yards and 135 punt return yards.
The appeal is easy to see. Lee brings speed first, and everything else builds off that.
He can turn a short touch into a chunk play, make defenders miss in space and looks dangerous on jet sweeps. He’s also shown he can catch the ball out of the backfield on wheel routes, go routes and screens, while bringing enough physicality to hold up as a run blocker and finish through contact.
As a receiver, he projects as a true speed threat - the kind who can stretch the field on posts, go routes and fades. He’s also shown the athleticism to climb for 50-50 balls. And the same closing burst that shows up on offense carries over to defense, where he has developed into a ball hawk.
USC has already loaded up at wide receiver in the last two recruiting cycles, signing six receivers in 2026 and then adding four-star talents Quentin Hale and Roye Oliver III in 2027. The Trojans brought in four four-stars and two three-stars in the 2026 class, with Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Trent Mosley both breaking into the starting lineup.
That kind of depth can create real competition once the 2027 arrivals get to campus. But that’s part of the pitch, too. USC can sell development, a path to the NFL and a track record of landing receivers at a high level - the exact formula that could help it bring Lee into the fold.
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What remains less certain is how much of that depth chart will translate into actual game action once the ball is kicked off. USC has been careful with injured players, and even with the return of key names there is still some guesswork around who will be fully ready and how long theyll stay on the field. For a team trying to settle its rotation early, that uncertainty is the part worth watching against Fresno State. [Read more 🡒]
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The criticism has landed from several directions, with some pointing to the weather and others to broader fan frustration around the program. Freshman receiver Ethan Feasters father added another layer to the picture, describing punishing heat at the game and saying several fans, including his wife, dealt with heat-related issues. For USC, the optics of a lightly filled Coliseum and an uncomfortable afternoon only sharpened the focus on a problem the program will keep hearing about until the stands look different. [Read more 🡒]
USC Pass Rush Faces Early Pressure As Young Defenders Push For More
USCs season opener gave the Trojans an early look at where their pass rush stands and where it still needs to go. After the win over San Jos State, junior defensive end Kameryn Crawford said the group will be measured quickly again when Fresno State comes to town, and he pointed to the promise already showing up from freshman end Luke Wafle. With a new defensive coordinator in Gary Patterson, Crawford has also had to adjust to a different role, making his perspective on the front especially relevant as the season starts to take shape.
What stood out most from Crawfords comments was the way he talked about the younger defenders not as future pieces, but as players already affecting the defense. He praised the freshmens work ethic and the energy they have brought, which matters for a USC pass rush trying to find consistency before conference play gets any more demanding. The Trojans do not need to solve everything in September, but they do need the edge rush to keep climbing, and the early signs suggest the freshmen may end up being a bigger part of that answer than expected. [Read more 🡒]