The USC Trojans just landed their third commitment in as many days, and their second 5-star in back-to-back days.
After landing 4-star wide receiver Roderick Tezeno Jr. on Wednesday and 5-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe on Thursday, the Trojans have now landed the commitment of 5-star cornerback Elbert Hill.
BREAKING: Elite 2026 CB Elbert Hill has Committed to USC, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 2, 2025
The 5’10 185 CB from Akron, OH chose the Trojans over Ohio State, Oregon, & Alabama
He’s ranked as the #1 Recruit in Ohio (#4 CB) per On3
“I’m home, Fight On✌🏻”https://t.co/zAZwpcuwoO pic.twitter.com/E2tGOzJl4n
5-Star CB Elbert Hill Commits To USC Trojans
Elbert Hill is ranked as the No. 1 cornerback in the 2026 class, according to Rivals, and is the 4th-ranked CB in the On3 Industry Rankings, just behind USC commit RJ Sermons. He is also the No. 1 prospect in the entire state of Ohio.
The USC Trojans beat out his home school of Ohio State, along with Alabama, Oregon, and just about every other top-tier program.
Hill visited USC a few times this spring and was just recently on campus for an unofficial visit on April 26th.
Speaking on his commitment, Hill told On3:
“Really just the people they’re building around it and how the coaches pushed very hard for me. The players, the incoming players in my class, they’ve been on me a lot about it. Every time I go down, I feel at home. They welcomed me with open arms every time.”
Secondary coach Doug Belk, one of the top recruiters in the nation, along with newcomer cornerbacks coach Travon Reed, were integral in Hill’s recruitment and his commitment. Weston Zernechel was another key ingredient in the recruiting process, and puts USC’s recruiting tactics as a full team effort on full display.
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Earning a commitment is one thing; however, retaining it till signing day is another. This one looks like it will go the distance, as Hill also announced that he is shutting down his recruitment, which is huge.
“I’m shutting down my recruitment,” Hill told On3.
Hill had official visits scheduled with Oregon on June 13 and Alabama on June 20, but those have been canceled, and he will now only take his official visit to USC on June 6-9.
Hill’s father also spoke with On3 about the decision:
“Then what they have to offer him. The ultimate goal is to play on Sundays, but it’s life after football with him going into business real estate. They put us in a room with real estate moguls. Everything aligns. Everything just fits. We got to spend time with some big-time alumni, Real estate people that are alumni at USC. That was great.”
The USC Trojans are pulling out all of the stops when it comes to recruiting and putting the program back to a place of excellence.
Hill will join two other blue-chip corners in 5-star RJ Sermons and 4-star Brandon Lockhart. The class is now up to 26 total commitments, and that number should continue to grow as most of the USC Trojans coaching staff just hit the recruiting trail for the month of May.