Southern Cal is still very much in the mix for four-star linebacker Landon Miller, and the 2028 recruit’s list is starting to take shape.
Miller, a rising junior with 18 offers, has narrowed things down to five schools, according to Rivals’ Brandon Huffman: USC, Oregon, Ohio State, Notre Dame and LSU. He also visited Cal during the summer and is planning to keep making the rounds once games begin.
The Trojans have already lined up one of those return trips. Miller told Huffman he’ll be at the Coliseum on Sept. 12 when USC hosts Louisiana.
He also plans to be in Eugene in October for Oregon’s game against UCLA. On top of that, he said he intends to attend Cal’s season opener and may also make it to Ohio State and LSU.
USC got involved early, offering Miller in April, and he made a multi-day unofficial visit to Los Angeles in June. That trip included an on-field workout and film sessions with linebackers coaches AJ Howard and Mike Ekeler.
Miller also watched the team’s summer lifts, toured campus and got a closer look at USC’s academics. He met with Lincoln Riley, general manager Chad Bowden and executive director of player personnel Max Stienecker as well.
There’s also a built-in familiarity factor working in USC’s favor. Miller knows and has played against several Trojans freshmen and members of the 2027 class, including Mark Bowman, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Shaun Scott, Tomuhini Topui and Aaryn Washington from Mater Dei, plus Trent Mosley, Simote Katoanga, Jayden Crowder and Isaia Vandermade from Santa Margarita.
“You can definitely tell they’re building a very good team and trending upwards," Miller told USC Trojans On SI. "These past two years I was fortunate enough to play in two different state championships and there’s close to 10 players that are now at USC that I’ve played against… They’re trending upwards and quickly. It’s definitely a school all of the California kids are looking at, including me.”
Howard’s recent work on the recruiting trail gives USC another selling point. In the 2026 cycle, he signed four-star linebackers Talanoa Ili and Shaun Scott, along with three-star Taylor Johnson. In 2027, Howard and the Trojans added three-star linebackers Dylan Wafle and Josiah Poyer.
The roster picture also matters. USC had 10 linebackers on the roster exiting spring practices, per USC Athletics, but if Miller ends up in the class, five backers will have moved on by Fall 2028. With only five linebackers signed across the 2026 and 2027 cycles, there’s a real opening at the position.
At 6-3, 210 pounds, Miller’s film shows a linebacker who can set the tone. He works through blocks, finishes plays and brings ball carriers down cleanly.
He’s also flashed on special teams, sprinting downfield for solo tackles on kickoff. He tackles with discipline, rarely leaving his feet or reaching with arm tackles, and he’s steady in space whether the play is in the open field or one-on-one.
He brings more than just physicality, too. Miller reads the action well, avoids getting pulled out of position by backfield movement or crossing routes, and can reroute receivers while holding his assignment in zone or man coverage. His sideline-to-sideline speed and ability as a rusher stand out as well.
As he heads into his junior season, Miller is already sitting inside the national top 200, ranked No. 131 by 247Sports and No. 140 by On3/Rivals. Both services list him as a top-10 player at his position and in California.
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