USC’s pipeline out of the Trinity League has gone from trickle to flood.
For years, the Trojans watched elite Southern California talent head elsewhere. That changed fast in Lincoln Riley’s first four seasons, when USC signed just five recruits from the conference. In the 2026 class alone, the Trojans landed eight Trinity League players, plus four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili, who spent three seasons at Orange Lutheran (Calif.) before finishing his senior year at Kahuku (Hawaii).
The headliner is Mater Dei five-star tight end Mark Bowman, the recruit who made the shift impossible to miss. USC beat out several SEC programs for Bowman, and he arrives with the kind of polished, versatile game that points straight to early playing time. The expectation is simple: he can step in and start right away.
Another major pickup was Bowman’s Mater Dei teammate, four-star receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. USC flipped the top 50 overall prospect from Ohio State on National Signing Day, adding a 6-foot-2, 195-pound target who thrives on explosiveness.
Dixon-Wyatt led Mater Dei’s receiving corps on a team that finished No. 1 in the country in 2024 and again in 2025. He wins with route savvy, strong hands and a flair for the spectacular, and while he’ll keep battling for a starting role in fall camp, he’s already in line to be part of the receiver rotation.
Trent Mosley gives USC another Trinity League weapon with real juice. After a strong freshman season at Santa Margarita (Calif.), he blew up as a sophomore, earning Trinity League co-MVP honors and first team MaxPreps Sophomore All-American recognition.
Last fall, he became the centerpiece of Santa Margarita’s improbable Open Division state championship run, picked up MaxPreps California of the Year honors and landed on the first team All-America list alongside freshman receiver Boobie Feaster and 2027 commit Roye Oliver III. Mosley is the kind of athlete who can flip a game in one touch, and he could also help in the return game this fall.
He was also, by all accounts in spring practice, one of USC’s most impressive freshmen. With Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon gone from the slot, Mosley looks like a strong candidate to take on that role.
Up front, USC added more size and power from the conference. Tomuhini “TomTom” Topui was the Trinity League MVP and a first team MaxPreps Junior All-American in 2024 on that dominant Mater Dei team. At 6-foot-3 and 325 pounds, he fits right into a defensive tackle group that should be one of the Trojans’ strengths and has the frame to be a valuable rotational piece.
Defensive end Simote Katoanga also arrives ready-made physically. He was first team All-Trinity League as both a sophomore and junior at JSerra (Calif.), then transferred to Santa Margarita for his senior year and earned the honor again while helping power the Eagles’ state championship run. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, Katoanga adds depth to USC’s defensive front with a body that looks built for the college game.
Ili brings a different kind of flexibility. He was first team All-Trinity League as a freshman, then earned MaxPreps Hawaii Player of the Year honors during his lone season at Kahuku.
At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, he can handle multiple linebacker roles and is pushing for a spot as a key reserve. At minimum, he should be a major piece on special teams.
Shaun Scott is another linebacker with a résumé that already stands out. A four-year contributor at Mater Dei, he was a second team MaxPreps All-American as a defensive lineman in 2025 after piling up 13.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss.
He’s not new to linebacker, but the transition still matters. Even so, he profiles as an aggressive presence on special teams.
Not every Trinity League addition is expected to make an immediate splash. Safety Joshua Holland, a versatile St.
John Bosco (Calif.) athlete who can line up anywhere in the secondary, looks like a player for 2027 and beyond. He was a first team All-Trinity League selection as a junior.
Cornerback Jayden Crowder, who earned first team All-Trinity League honors as both a junior and senior and was a key part of Santa Margarita’s championship run, also appears headed for a future role rather than instant snaps.
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