The USC Trojans have the No. 1 recruiting class in all the land. It has been a fantastic recruiting season for Lincoln Riley, and his staff is a huge reason why there is so much momentum surrounding the program.
While Lincoln Riley deserves all of the credit in the critical hires he made, and he is a fantastic recruiter in his own right, his coaching staff is knocking it out of the park.
The USC Trojans currently have 4 coaches ranked inside the Top 10 of 247 Sports’ coaching recruiting rankings.
4 USC Trojans Coaches Rank In The Top 10
The Trojans currently have 27 commitments in their 2026 class. With that many commits, a ton of credit must go around, from the coaches to the personnel department and front office.
But there are 4 coaches who are standing out above the rest.
Eric Henderson – Defensive Line/Co-Defensive Coordinator – Ranked 2nd
Coach Henny is currently ranked 2nd overall in 247’s recruiting rankings. He is responsible for 7 total commitments and has been involved in many others. His commits include:
- 4-Star Jaimeon Winfield
- 4-Star Simote Katoanga
- 4-Star Tomuhini Topui
- 4-Star Braeden Jones
- 3-Star Jake Johnson
- 3-Star Andrew Williams
- 3-Star Malik Brooks
While he may not be listed in the rankings, EDGE coach Shaun Nua deserves a ton of credit as well, as he is highly involved in all of the defensive line recruiting.
Doug Belk – Secondary Coach – Ranked 3rd
Coach Belk is one of the most underrated coaches in all of college football and continues to show why he will be a defensive coordinator again very soon. His commits include:
- 4-Star Elbert Hill
- 4-Star Brandon Lockhart
- 3-Star Madden Riordan
- 3-Star Joshua Holland
- 3-Star Malik Brooks
He also deserves credit for 5-Star cornerback RJ Sermons, but he is not included in these rankings anymore since he reclassified to the 2025 class. But he will be joining USC in July of this year.
Also Read: USC Trojans Commit Mark Bowman Gets Insane Player Comp
Zach Hanson – Offensive Line Coach – Ranked 6th
After being the tight ends coach the last two years, Coach Hanson slid over to the offensive line after Josh Henson took the offensive coordinator position at Purdue. Not only are the current players raving about Hanson and his coaching ability, but his recruiting has been off the charts. His commits include:
- 5-Star Keenyi Pepe
- 4-Star Esun Tafa
- 4-Star Vlad Dyakonov
- 3-Star Kannon Smith
- 3-Star Chase Deniz
- 3-Star John Fifita
Chad Savage – Tight Ends/Inside Receivers Coach – Ranked 10th
Chad Savage was one of the new hires that Lincoln Riley made this offseason, and he has not disappointed. He brings with him a pedigree of relationship building and already has an established presence in Southern California. He is only going to continue to rise in the ranks. His commits include:
- 5-Star Mark Bowman (TE)
- 4-Star Trent Mosley (TE)
- 4-Star Luc Weaver (TE)
There is still a long way to go in the 2026 recruiting cycle, but the USC Trojans coaching staff is making waves.