USC’s 2027 recruiting class may not be climbing the national board as a whole, but tight end Jace Cannon is making his own move.
Cannon, who committed to the Trojans after a spring visit on April 11, was the 10th player to join USC’s 2027 cycle. At the time, both On3/Rivals and 247Sports had him pegged as a three-star prospect.
On the national tight end lists, he checked in at No. 34 by 247Sports and No. 35 by On3/Rivals. Among California recruits, he sat at No. 59 and No. 50, respectively.
That changed on July 13, when On3/Rivals bumped Cannon up to four stars. The update also pushed him to No. 12 among tight ends nationally and No. 23 in California, while placing him at No. 296 in the 2027 Rivals300. 247Sports has not made the same star jump, but Cannon has still climbed there as well, rising to No. 31 at his position and No. 57 in the state.
The upgrade fits what Cannon showed during his junior season at Junipero Serra in San Mateo, Calif. Over 13 games, he totaled 29 catches for 569 yards and three touchdowns, according to MaxPreps. He also added 77 kickoff return yards on four attempts.
At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, Cannon looks like the kind of tight end every offense wants now: big enough to matter, fast enough to stress defenses. Junipero Serra used him all over the formation, lining him up as a traditional tight end, an X-receiver, in the slot and even out of the backfield. He has the speed to run past linebackers, the route skill to find space in the secondary and the strength to force extra bodies to finish the tackle.
His experience in basketball, baseball and motocross shows up in the way he moves. Cannon tracks the ball well, adjusts in the air, competes for 50-50 throws and has the kind of body control that makes him dangerous on the move. The areas that still need work are pretty clear: blocking, plus a little more grit and strength in the trenches.
USC’s tight end room is already crowded. After the 2026 spring session, there are seven players in the group.
Redshirt senior Carson Tabaracci is the most experienced name, though he has only played in 21 games over the past four seasons and has four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. Behind him are redshirt junior Tucker Ashcraft and junior Josiah Jefferson, the No.
1 JUCO tight end out of Southwestern College in Chula Vista, Calif., according to 247Sports, On3/Rivals and ESPN.
The most buzz right now belongs to incoming freshman Mark Bowman. USC landed him as a five-star in the 2026 cycle, and he arrives with top-30 national billing, top-five status in California and All-American honors. After spring practices, there’s a belief that Bowman could earn snaps as a true freshman and maybe even work his way into a starting role later in the season.
For now, Cannon stands alone as the only tight end committed in USC’s 2027 class, and the Trojans still haven’t landed one in the 2028 cycle. If he graduates early and arrives in the spring, as many of USC’s 2026 commits did, he could give himself an early edge before trying to win over Chad Savage and the rest of the staff.
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