USC’s latest recruiting push in the secondary is already running through one of its own commits.
Four-star cornerback Danny Lang is part of a loaded Trojans class in the 2027 cycle, and he’s been working three Southern California defensive backs hard as USC keeps building momentum on the West Coast. The group Lang is chasing includes Mater Dei four-star safety Ace Leutele, Santa Margarita four-star cornerback Ca’ron “Prime” Williams and Mission Viejo four-star defensive back Jordan Hicks.
Leutele, Lang’s teammate, has been around USC for a long time. He said he has been taking trips to the program since elementary school, and he already has a built-in connection with several Trojans freshmen, including Lang and 2027 four-star cornerback commit Aaryn “J.O.”
Washington. Leutele was also part of a 2024 high school national championship team with four Trojan freshmen.
“Danny's always trying to tell me to come to USC, alongside with all of my other old teammates that was in the ‘26 class,” Leutele said.
Leutele also has strong relationships with multiple freshmen on the roster and with personnel staff member Coach Dogg, Aaron Amaama.
Williams has his own USC ties through success with several of those same young Trojans. He won an Open Division state championship last fall with three of them, along with 2027 defensive linemen commit Isaia Vandermade. The four-star cornerback spent a busy summer working out at Southern Cal and taking visits to Oregon, Ohio State and LSU, but USC remains the team to beat heading into his junior season.
Hicks is another local name USC is tracking closely. Oregon has the early edge for the Mission Viejo defensive back, but that can shift once the season starts. Several major programs are still in the mix, and Trojans cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed will keep pressing for him.
USC has been stacking elite Southern California defensive backs for several recruiting cycles now. Marcelles Williams arrived as a blue-chip player in the 2024 class and started 11 games at cornerback last season. Redshirt freshman cornerback RJ Sermons and defensive back Trestin Castro came in as blue-chip recruits in the 2025 class.
The 2026 class brought more talent into the room, with freshmen cornerback Brandon Lockhart and safety Madden Riordan shining together at Sierra Canyon, freshman cornerback Jayden Crowder winning a state championship last fall at Santa Margarita, and freshman defensive back Joshua Holland coming out of St. John Bosco.
That local pipeline has not been the only source of help for USC, either. Redshirt freshman defensive back Alex Graham, a Detroit native, broke through late last season at nickel and is expected to be a major piece of the defense this year. Freshman cornerback Elbert “Rock” Hill arrived as the No. 1 cornerback in the 2026 class out of Archbishop Hoban in Ohio.
The Trojans have also leaned on transfers in the secondary, with cornerbacks Jontez Williams and Chasen Johnson, plus safety Kennedy Urlacher, playing important roles over the past two seasons.
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USC Is Right In The Middle Of A Mater Dei Battle Fans Care About
Ace Leutele has been around USC long enough that the relationship feels less like a new recruiting chase and more like an old one being reopened in earnest. The four-star Mater Dei safety has been visiting campus frequently since elementary school because of family ties, and he has continued to build connections with the Trojans through new safeties coach Paul Gonzales and recruiting director Aaron Amaama as USC works to stay squarely in the mix for one of Southern Californias most watched prospects.
Leutele is still sorting through a crowded recruitment, with several major programs pushing hard, but the Trojans have the kind of familiarity that matters in a battle like this. He plans to spend more time around college football this season, including USC games, while also taking on a two-way role at Mater Dei as both a safety and receiver. For USC, the draw is obvious: keep a local star close, deepen the bond with a family that already knows the program, and make the case that the next step can feel a lot like home. [Read more 🡒]
USC May Finally Have The Defensive Breakout Fans Have Been Waiting For
Jahkeem Stewarts first season at USC was shaped by more grit than anyone around the program would have preferred, but it also gave the Trojans a glimpse of why he is so important to what comes next. Lincoln Riley said the sophomore showed toughness by playing through a foot injury, and now the focus shifts to getting him back to full strength as USC tries to build a more reliable defense around young front-line talent.
The timing matters because USC has changed direction on that side of the ball, with Gary Patterson taking over as defensive coordinator and a fresh opportunity for the Trojans to finally turn promise into production. Stewart is expected to be one of the key pieces on the defensive line, and the hope inside the program is that his next chapter looks a lot more like a centerpiece than a player simply trying to survive the season. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Offseason Just Changed The Pressure In Baton Rouge
The offseason arms race in college football has already reshaped a lot of rosters, and LSU sits at the center of the conversation after loading up through the portal and backing it with a top-15 recruiting class. On3s Ari Wasserman put the Tigers at the top of his list of biggest winners, pointing to a transfer haul that topped 40 newcomers and a roster build that has drawn plenty of attention across the sport.
For USC, the ripple effect is part of the same national picture, even if the Trojans are approaching it from a different angle. They have their own momentum with a No. 1 2026 high school class, a returning Jayden Maiava at quarterback and nine transfer additions to supplement the roster, but LSUs spending and portal aggression only underscores how high the bar has climbed. The question now is whether all that offseason activity translates once the games start, because in a year like this, roster talent is only the first part of the story. [Read more 🡒]