USC’s recruiting momentum is getting another chance to show up where it matters most: on a game day visit.
The No. 14 Trojans host Louisiana in their final non-conference game of the season, and one of their top 2028 targets is expected to be in the building.
Class of 2028 three-star running back Malaki Davis is slated to be at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, according to Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney. And this won’t be a one-and-done stop.
Davis is also expected back on Halloween for USC’s matchup with Ohio State.
That gives Lincoln Riley and his staff two more chances to make their case before Big Ten play begins, even if the Trojans don’t have quite the same visitor list they had for the season opener against San José State. USC still has major recruiting stages ahead later in the year, especially against Oregon and Ohio State, but Davis is already getting repeated exposure to what the program has to offer.
The Corona Centennial back has made no secret of where USC stands in his process. The Trojans are currently the frontrunner for his commitment, and Davis said the connection only got stronger after 1981 USC Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Allen reached out.
“They were No. 1 no matter what but that moved them up further away from the other teams because other teams don’t have as many historical people or people hitting me up because I feel like they’re hitting me up every other day,” Davis told Gorney. “They’re making sure.”
Davis already attended USC’s opener against San José State, and the Trojans will get two more looks this season with his planned return for Saturday’s game and the Ohio State visit on Oct. 31. He also holds more than 20 offers, including from Washington, Arizona and Michigan.
Michigan remains part of the picture, too. Davis told Gorney he plans to be in Ann Arbor for the Wolverines’ mid-October game against Penn State, giving him another key stop in his recruitment.
USC’s place in this race isn’t just about one recruit or one visit. The Trojans have been recruiting at a high level for years, and that track record matters here.
USC signed the No. 1 class in the nation in 2026, while its 2027 class currently sits at No. 18, according to 247Sports. The 2028 cycle is still very early, but the Trojans have already landed a foundational piece in quarterback Trey Wright, who committed in August and remains USC’s only pledge in the class.
Wright chose USC over Oregon, Kentucky, Arizona and SMU, and his commitment gives the Trojans an early face of the class. That can help when USC is trying to sell the rest of the offense, especially to a running back like Davis who fits right into the kind of skill talent Riley wants to stack around him.
There’s also a more personal side to USC’s push. Running backs coach Anthony Jones has stayed close to Davis throughout the process, and proximity to Corona Centennial has helped. Jones has visited Davis at Centennial three times, according to Kendell Hollowell of USC Trojans On SI.
“When he's going out there to train me or just to see how I'm doing that really means something because coaches don't usually come all the way out there,” Davis told Hollowell. “I know it's like still a little bit closer, but he's taking time out of his day to go down, see how I'm doing.
He’s just giving me tips on everything. That just means a lot.”
It’s still far too early for Davis to make a decision, but USC has done exactly what it needed to do so far: stay visible, stay consistent and keep him coming back. Saturday’s visit gives the Trojans another shot to keep that edge intact.
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