Trojans lead the Pac-12 in recruiting rankings

The class of 2021 is far from settled and it’s likely that the USC Trojans will see potentially 10 more commitments for the upcoming class. Still, they’re off to such a lead in terms of the Pac-12 recruiting rankings that even Oregon’s recent stretch of impressive commitments can’t even catch them.

In fact, the Trojans opened up such a lead over every school except for Oregon that 247Sports has USC with nearly 100.0 more ‘recruiting points’ than any other Pac-12 school. This race for best class in the Pac-12 will squarely come down to Oregon and USC.

And, more likely than not, the top class in the Pac-12 will be a top-5 class nationally as USC ranks fifth currently and Oregon ranks sixth.

So, how has USC opened up such a lead? Well, it’s simple. We’ve documented most of the commitments recently but here’s the running list of committed players:

4-star QB Jake Garcia — No. 4 ranked pro-style QB, No. 5 overall in California
4-star QB Miller Moss — No. 6 ranked pro-style QB, No. 6 overall in California
4-star WR Quaydarius Davis — No. 17 ranked WR, No. 16 overall in Texas
4-star OLB Julien Simon — No. 7 ranked OLB, No. 4 overall in Washington
4-star OLB Ma’a Gaoteote — No. 11 ranked OLB, No. 13 overall in California
4-star DT Jay Toia — No. 13 ranked DT, No. 17 overall in California
4-star ATH Calen Bullock — No. 9 ranked ATH, No. 18 overall in California
4-star ATH Anthony Beavers Jr. — No. 10 ranked ATH, No. 19 overall in California
4-star S Xamarion Gordon — No. 18 ranked S, No 29 overall in California
4-star RB Brandon Campbell — No. 14 ranked RB, No. 45 overall in Texas
3-star WR Michael Jackson — No. 63 ranked WR, No. 3 overall in Nevada
3-star TE Lake McRee — No. 21 ranked TE, No. 64 overall in Texas
3-star OT Mason Murphy — No. 38 ranked OT, No. 39 overall in California
3-star DE Colin Mobley — No. 30 ranked SDE, No. 17 overall in Maryland
3-star OT Saia Mapakaitola — No. 46 ranked OT, No. 50 overall in California
3-star OG Maximus Gibbs — No. 32 ranked OG, No. 57 overall in California

That’s a whopping 10 commitments from the state of California alone, and it’s important to note, that no other Pac-12 school has even more than 10 total commitments besides Oregon’s 14.

What’s even more impressive is that only Oregon and USC are averaging a recruit ranking of anything above 89.0 overall from 247Sports as they both are averaging well over 91.0 per prospect committed. USC’s 10 total four-star prospects committed are also as many as the next-closest university has total commitments except Oregon.

The race for the top class between the Ducks and Trojans will ultimately come down to how they close out their classes. And one thing is for sure, USC has a bevy of top-talent still on the board.

Korey Foreman, the No. 1 overall prospect, is still considered a heavy USC lean after spurning the Clemson Tigers. And then there’s No. 2 overall prospect J.T. Tuimoloau who is also considering the Trojans. These two are not only big gets for the class of 2021, they’re all-time recruits, each ranking in the top 25 of the 247sports highest ever given grades.

4-star ILB Ethan Calvert, 4-star CB Nathaniel Wiggins, 4-star SDE Aaron Armitage, 4-star OG Josh Simmons and 4-star ATH Jaylin Smith are also all considered to be heavy USC leans and would undoubtedly keep the Trojans at the top of the Pac-12 and likely secure even a top three class nationally.

If Clay Helton can secure the services of Korey Foreman, however, there may be no way of catching the Trojans, not only in the Pac-12, but even by the likes of Ohio State, Tennessee, LSU or even Clemson.