Five-star offensive lineman Austin Attalah is set to make his college decision on Aug. 25, and the race comes down to USC, Texas, and Texas Tech.
The class of 2028 recruit told On3’s Greg Biggins that he’ll announce on The Pat McAfee Show, ending a process that has moved quickly for the 6-7, 270-pound junior from Orange Lutheran. Attalah is the No. 1 recruit in California and the No. 3 offensive tackle in the 247 Sports Composite.
“I feel I’m ready, and I’m excited to get this done,” Attalah told Biggins. “I’ve kind of grown tired of the recruiting process, and I’ve known where I’ve wanted to go for over a month now.”
USC got in early, becoming the first of the three finalists to offer him on Mar. 7 during an unofficial campus visit. Texas followed on Mar. 27, with Texas Tech joining the pursuit in April.
Attalah’s list has steadily narrowed since then. He cut things to eight on Jun. 4, a group that included USC and California, before trimming it to three two months later. Four days after revealing his top schools, Florida State also entered the picture with an offer.
The timing now lines up with USC’s season opener against San Jose State less than a week away, and Attalah is ready to close the door on the recruiting grind.
There’s already a strong lean in the prediction market. Blair Angulo’s 247Sports Crystal Ball currently points to Texas Tech, and Angulo has a 93.64 percent all-time prediction record, along with a 93.73 percent mark for the 2027 class.
Texas Tech also has a natural connection here. Attalah has family ties to the Lone Star State, and his grandparents’ ranch is in Floydada, not far from Lubbock. Attalah told 247Sports that his decision comes down to development and NFL production.
USC, though, has been working this trail hard. Lincoln Riley’s program signed the top-ranked 2026 class in the country, and its 2027 group sits among the top 20. The 2028 class already includes five-star quarterback Trey Wright, and there’s a strong local flavor to the group.
Offensive line coach Zach Hanson has already stacked some impressive wins at the position, landing five-star Keenyi Pepe and four-star Drew Fielder in the 2026 and 2027 cycles. Former Cajon teammate Taylor Johnson is also on the roster.
If USC can beat the projections and land Attalah, it would be a major lift for the Trojans’ 2028 class and another strong sign for Riley and Hanson on the offensive line trail. But right now, Texas Tech appears to have the edge, with USC still very much in the conversation.
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