USC is still holding onto its biggest 2027 prize, but Texas keeps circling.
Five-star athlete Honor Fa'alave-Johnson, the top 2027 recruit and a Cathedral Catholic standout from San Diego, has become a target for flip chatter, with Oregon and Texas both showing up as the most aggressive pursuers. Fa'alave-Johnson pushed back on the Oregon buzz before the weekend of July 11, using social media to shut that down. Texas, though, has not backed off.
On3/Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney reported that the Longhorns are still pushing hard for the two-way talent.
"The Longhorns seem to be playing the long game here in case anything changes at USC after this season or they can circle back closer to signing day because the San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic standout said Texas is still contacting him every single day," Gorney reported.
For now, Oregon appears to be easing off a bit, while Texas remains in the mix. Gorney noted that other schools have also backed down some, but the Longhorns are still staying active in the pursuit.
Even with that pressure, Fa'alave-Johnson has said he wants to stay with USC. In an interview with Kendell Hollowell of USC Trojans on SI, he pointed to the chance to stay close to home as a major reason he picked the Trojans.
"That was really my biggest pitch to them,” Fa’alave-Johnson said to USC Trojans on SI. “I want to stay in California, play with all of them, so they kind of made it easy for me. And then just the coaching staff, I trust them."
Texas is also trying to make noise with another USC pledge. The Longhorns have entered the picture for three-star linebacker Josiah Poyer from St.
John Bosco in Bellflower. Gorney reported before July 11 that Texas linebackers coach Johnny Nansen is using the NIL checkbook in an effort to pry Poyer away, though Poyer has not said anything publicly about the Longhorns' interest.
The backdrop here matters. USC and Lincoln Riley beat out every FBS program in the last cycle, landing the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class for 2026. Texas, though, has built a much larger 2027 class so far, sitting at 22 verbal commits to USC’s 14.
The Longhorns have also made inroads in Southern California, landing four-star defensive tackle Kasi Currie of Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth and three-star Lucas Rhoa of Orange Lutheran out of the Trinity League. USC, meanwhile, does not currently have a commitment from Texas.
That stands in sharp contrast to the last cycle, when USC pulled in five-star defensive lineman Jameion Winfield from Richardson and four-star wide receiver Ethan Feaster from DeSoto.
If Fa'alave-Johnson were to flip, it would leave a major hole in USC’s class and force Riley and general manager Chad Bowden to answer with a big-time five-star move of their own. For now, though, Fa'alave-Johnson remains committed to USC.
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