MISSION VIEJO, Calif. - USC’s recruiting momentum was on display Saturday at the South County Classic passing tournament, where a handful of Southern California prospects showed up wearing Trojan gear and keeping the Trojans firmly in the mix.
The event at Mission Viejo High School brought together 20 local schools, and the USC presence was hard to miss. Several commits and priority targets were in action, giving the Trojans another chance to stay visible with key names in the 2027 and 2028 classes.
One of the biggest names to watch remains Mater Dei four-star safety Ace Leutele. USC is still considered the favorite for the junior, who has been around the program for years and has multiple staffers involved in his recruitment.
That group includes Coach Dogg, Aaron Amaama, the director of high school recruiting relations, whose work has been central to USC’s rise on the trail. Leutele showed his allegiance at the tournament by wearing a USC headband and gloves.
Another top defensive target, Santa Margarita four-star cornerback Ca’ron “Prime” Williams, had strong summer visits to Ohio State, Oregon and LSU, but USC is still in a strong spot. Williams has been on campus at least seven times over the last couple of years and has built a strong bond with cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed. He also won a state championship last fall with three USC freshmen and 2027 defensive lineman commit Isaia Vandermade.
Mission Viejo four-star defensive back Jordan Hicks is a tougher battle for the Trojans. He recently trimmed his list to a top eight, with Oregon, Oklahoma, Miami and Texas A&M among the schools in the hunt.
Still, USC has some built-in ties there, thanks to his relationships with several freshmen and 2027 commits, including Damien four-star safety Gavin Williams. Hicks and Williams have known each other since they were 12, when they played on the same youth football team.
Hicks has also locked in a gameday visit to the Coliseum on Oct. 31 for USC’s matchup with Ohio State.
USC’s offer last month made an immediate impression on three-star running back Jaion “Deuce” Smith, who already knows the program well. His cousin is former Trojans All-Conference cornerback Jaylin Smith.
Kansas and Minnesota are also involved early for Smith, who will play linebacker at Santa Margarita this fall. He, too, was wearing USC gear over the weekend.
Corona Centennial three-star running back Malaki Davis is another local prospect with USC firmly in front. Miami and Michigan have been pushing this summer, but Davis’ relationship with running backs coach Anthony Jones and the chance to stay close to home have USC in the driver’s seat. USC was the only school he visited this summer, and he plans to be at the Coliseum for every home game this fall.
Santa Margarita 2030 linebacker Aydan Steen is also a name to keep on the radar. There’s already a belief that Santa Margarita may have upgraded at linebacker this fall because of Steen, even though he is still a rising freshman. USC has already offered him, and he showed up at the tournament wearing a pair of Trojans gloves.
On the commitment side, Corona Centennial four-star receiver Quentin Hale is staying locked in with USC. He shut down his recruitment in early June and spent an extended stretch on campus last month to keep getting comfortable with the program. Hale wore USC gloves and a sweatsuit at the tournament, and he’s also helping the Trojans recruit Davis and Tustin 2028 four-star receiver Hayden Koo.
Mater Dei four-star cornerback commit Danny Lang is doing his part as well. He has remained solid since ending his recruitment in May and says he is actively working on Leutele, Hicks and Williams. Lang also plans to attend every USC home game this fall.
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