USC’s 2027 recruiting class may be smaller than the group that arrived a year earlier, but the Trojans are still stacking talent at a serious clip.
The class is ranked 16th nationally and more than half of the commits are from California, a sign that USC is still doing plenty of damage close to home even as it reaches beyond state lines for premium talent. With high school football season rolling, several of those future Trojans are already making noise.
Mekai Brown headlines the group from an upside standpoint. The 6-foot-6 EDGE from Greenwich Country Day in Connecticut was ranked as the sixth-best edge in the country and drew 29 offers before picking USC over Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Mississippi and Ohio State on April 17.
Brown is also a basketball player, and he helped Greenwich Country Day beat Blair Academy 42-7 on Sept. 19.
Individual stats were not available.
Another five-star name in the class is Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, USC’s second five-star in the 2027 haul and the nation’s second-ranked athlete. The Cathedral Catholic senior was recruited by defensive coordinator Gary Patterson and tight ends/inside receivers coach Chad Savage.
Analysts say he could end up on either side of the ball in college because of his technique and instincts. This fall, he’s averaging 6.5 tackles per game through four games for 26 total tackles and three tackles for loss.
On offense, he leads the Dons with 132 rushing yards on 21 carries and has scored three touchdowns.
Danny Lang has been a key piece for Mater Dei in the secondary and on special teams. The four-star cornerback, ranked third at his position nationally, is set to become the seventh Mater Dei player on USC’s roster.
Through four games, he has seven tackles, one interception and a fumble recovery. He’s also made an impact returning kicks, averaging a team-high 70.5 yards on two returns, including a 100-yard kick return against Orem, Utah.
Lang sat out Mater Dei’s 25-8 loss to Bishop Gorman, Nevada, because of a knee injury.
At receiver, Quentin Hale has been producing big numbers for Corona Centennial after previously playing for Los Angeles Cathedral. The 6-3, 192-pound four-star committed to USC in February and chose the Trojans over LSU, Oklahoma and Texas. Through four games, he has 22 catches for 388 yards and three touchdowns, good for nearly 100 receiving yards per game.
USC also landed a major offensive line flip when it pulled Drew Fielder away from Oregon in late March. The left tackle, a four-star from Servite, was on the OC Register’s list of top linemen to watch before the season. His blocking has helped Servite pile up 1,019 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns in four games.
Aaryn Washington, a four-star cornerback from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, transferred from Mater Dei to finish his high school career there. Analysts project him as a nickelback in college. After playing only two games as a junior because of injury, he has four tackles and a pass breakup in three games this season.
Gavin Williams is giving USC a versatile defensive back option. The Damien two-way player posted 63 tackles and eight pass breakups as a junior, and he’s on pace to top those numbers. In four games this season, he has 20 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one pass breakup and a blocked field goal.
Roye Oliver III brings track-and-field speed to the receiver room. The Hamilton, Arizona, standout is a top-three receiver in the state and excels from the slot.
As a junior, he caught 92 passes for 1,839 yards and 31 touchdowns. He has played in only two games so far in his senior season.
At Oaks Christian, Alifeleti Tuihalamaka is building on a breakout sophomore year. The four-star defensive lineman, and younger brother of Notre Dame linebacker Junior Tuihalamaka, is second on the team with 47 tackles and leads the team with 12 tackles for loss. He also has two sacks, five quarterback hurries and a blocked field goal.
Javon Vital is one of the more multi-sport athletes in the class, with football, basketball, baseball and track and field on his résumé. The three-star from Lake Charles College Prep in Louisiana does not have individual stats available, but his team is 3-0 and has scored at least 45 points in every game.
USC also added depth at tight end with Jace Cannon from Junipero Serra in San Mateo. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound three-star is the Padres’ leading receiver after catching eight passes for 111 yards in two games.
At linebacker, Josiah Poyer of St. John Bosco was recruited by linebackers coach and special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler. The 6-1, 225-pound three-star has seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in two games.
Isaia Vandermade, a three-star defensive lineman from Santa Margarita, comes from a USC family. He is the son of Lenny Vandermade, who played offensive line at USC from 2000-2003 before a brief NFL career. Santa Margarita is off to a 4-0 start, and the Eagles are averaging 169.6 passing yards and 143.4 rushing yards per game.
Dylan Wafle rounds out the group as a linebacker from Avon Old Farms in Connecticut. The three-star recruit’s older brother, Luke, is a freshman edge for USC this season. Avon Old Farms opened with a 48-7 win over Kent School, one of Connecticut’s top football programs.
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