USC has landed in the middle of Derrick Coleman Jr.’s early recruiting picture, and the four-star defensive back has already mapped out two separate trips to Los Angeles this fall.
Coleman, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound junior at Juniper Serra in Gardena, Calif., announced his top nine college choices on Aug. 17 to 247’s Collin Kennedy. The list includes USC, along with California and UCLA, giving the Trojans one of several West Coast schools still in the mix. Coleman is ranked 18th among safeties and No. 17 in California by 247 Sports.
The timing matters, too. Coleman is just now heading into his junior season, and the attention around him has only grown since spring, when interest started rolling in fast. As he trims things down, he appears to be sticking with the programs that have stayed steady with him.
USC is one of the schools that made the cut for game day visits, and Coleman has lined up trips with eight of the nine teams on his list. North Carolina is the lone exception.
Among the scheduled visits are Oregon on Oct. 10, UCLA on Oct. 24 and Washington on Nov.
But the Trojans may have the clearest path to making an impression because Coleman is planning to be in the Coliseum twice. He’ll be there for USC’s Week 0 opener against San José State and then return on Halloween for the matchup with Ohio State.
That second visit stands out for obvious reasons. USC will host the Buckeyes, who are No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, for the first time since 2008.
Lincoln Riley’s 2028 class already has some local flavor, and Coleman fits right into that push. The Trojans have a commitment from four-star quarterback Trey Wright out of Frisco, Texas, but they’re also chasing several nearby names.
That group includes Servite’s Allen “Cinco” Kennet V, Palos Verdes’ Jalen Flowers and Santa Margarita’s Jaion “Deuce” Smith. All three are set to be in the Coliseum for the opener with Coleman.
Flowers also has two game day visits scheduled.
For the Ohio State game, Coleman will be back with four-stars Jalen Brown, Jordan Hicks and Major Stokes. Tustin’s Hayden Koo is another prospect who recently locked in a game day visit with USC.
Riley’s recent classes show why the 2028 group could matter so much. USC had the top-ranked recruiting class in 2026 with local names like Trent Mosley, Luke Wafle and Mark Bowmen. The 2027 class is smaller after that big haul, so the Trojans may need to lean harder on 2028 to help round out the roster.
How that class shapes up could also depend on what happens on the field in 2026, with USC hoping to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time ever. The Trojans open the season at home against San José State on Aug. 29.
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