USC is getting an early crack at one of California’s rising young running backs, and the timing could work in the Trojans’ favor.
Santa Margarita (Calif.) 2028 back Jaion “Deuce” Smith has locked in his first game day visit to USC for this fall, with a Week Zero stop set for Aug. 29 when the Trojans open at home against San Jose State, according to Greg Biggins of On3. The visit comes after USC offered Smith on June 11, and it’s the first of four game day trips he has scheduled.
Smith’s calendar also includes visits to California on Sept. 5, Wisconsin on Oct. 3 and Kansas on Oct. 24.
The three-star recruit is coming off a big sophomore year at Santa Margarita, where he helped the Eagles share the Trinity League championship and also win the CIF-SS Division 1 title and the CIF State Open Division championship. On the field, Smith put together a productive all-around season, rushing for 896 yards on 190 carries with nine touchdowns while adding 167 receiving yards on 21 catches.
That USC offer clearly meant something to him. Smith told Rivals it was a “dream offer” after working out with the Trojans in early June.
Ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 74 running back in California and the No. 51 running back nationally, Smith also comes with a web of USC ties. He is the cousin of former Trojan Jaylin Smith, and Santa Margarita’s staff has plenty of USC bloodlines too.
Head coach Carson Palmer, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2002, was named the MaxPreps Coach of the Year in his first season with the Eagles. Offensive coordinator Lenny Vandermade, a former offensive lineman, played with Palmer in the early 2000s.
Vandermade’s son, Isaiah Vandermade, is also Smith’s teammate at Santa Margarita and already holds a USC offer in the 2027 class. On top of that, USC running backs coach Anthony Jones Jr. has built a strong relationship with Smith.
The Trojans aren’t the only program making a push. Notre Dame and UCLA were among the schools chasing him over the summer, and Smith told Kendell Hollowell during his June 11 visit, “I don’t want to say anybody’s ahead of anybody because it is still early. I would say USC and Kansas have been pushing a lot, and I would say also Minnesota and Cal,”
For Lincoln Riley, the late-August visit gives USC a real chance to make an impression and possibly add Smith to its 2028 class. That class already includes Texas quarterback Trey Wright, who announced his commitment on Saturday, Aug.
- Smith would be another major piece.
The visit will also let the USC staff see Smith in season, since the Eagles will already have played two games of their 2026 season before Aug. 26 and are expected to be championship-caliber again in California. USC still has eight other running back offers out, including four-star targets Tahmere Brown and Dalen Powell.
In Other News...
Sam Darnold Just Took His Place Among USC Quarterback Greats
USCs 2026 schedule will begin Aug. 29 against San Jose State, but the buzz around the programs quarterback history has been pulling attention back to one of its most memorable recent passers. Sam Darnolds rise from campus star to first-round NFL pick in 2018 has become one of the cleanest through lines in the Trojans modern quarterback lineage, a reminder of how much weight the position still carries in Los Angeles.
Darnolds time at USC from 2015 to 2017 left enough of a mark to keep him in the conversation with the schools best, and his pro career has only added to that case. After being drafted by the New York Jets, he has now added a major NFL breakthrough with the Seattle Seahawks, giving USC another former quarterback to point to when the program starts looking ahead to fall. [Read more 🡒]
USC Freshmen Are Already Forcing Their Way Into Key Roles
Lincoln Riley made it clear this summer that USCs 2026 freshman class is not expected to spend the season watching and learning from the sideline. Several newcomers are already positioned to compete for starting jobs or meaningful snaps, a sign that the Trojans believe this group can help right away rather than waiting its turn. The names getting the most attention span both sides of the ball, from defensive linemen Tomuhini Topui and Wafle to safety Madden Riordan and a deep receiver group that includes Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Mosley and Boobie Feaster.
There is also help coming in the secondary with cornerback Elbert Hill, giving USC a class with real breadth and not just one obvious strength. What makes it notable is how quickly these freshmen have gone from future promise to present tense conversation, with their backgrounds and physical tools making them part of the roster picture before the season has even fully taken shape. The bigger question now is not whether USC likes the talent, but how many of these first-year players can carve out roles once the games start for real. [Read more 🡒]