The recruiting heater for Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans continues as they have earned the commitment of elite Utah offensive lineman Esun Tafa. Tafa is the 2nd offensive lineman in the Trojans’ No. 1-ranked 2026 class, joining John Fifita, who committed earlier this week.
The 4-star interior offensive lineman committed to the USC Trojans over his home-school of Utah, along with Oregon, Washington, and others. He is the 15th-ranked IOL in the country and 5th-ranked overall player in the state of Utah, according to On3 Industry Rankings.
4-Star OL Esun Tafa Commits To USC Trojans
While Tafa is from Utah, he does have a connection to California, which played a factor in his commitment to the Trojans. In an interview with On3, he said:
“I love California. My mom was born and raised in Tustin/Santa Ana, Orange County, so I’ve grown to love it as we’ve visited over the years. USC is the school my family are big-time fans of since they’re from Cali. USC’s culture and tradition to me is next level, and I just want to be part of the rebuilding the winning tradition.”
Tafa added, as all of the recent commits have, that the 2026 class is going to be special, and it was something that he wanted to be a part of.
Esun is listed as 6’4, 315 pounds, so he will add more beef to an offensive line that has been overhauled over the past two seasons in terms of adding “Big Ten” weight.
While listed as an interior offensive lineman, he has worked out as a tackle and did so at the Utah Under Armour Camp back in June, so there is some versatility to his game, something that USC has always put a high priority on in offensive line recruits.
Tafa was the 3rd commitment in the last 24 hours after IOL John Fifita and WR Trent Mosley.
Check out the USC Trojans 2026 Recruiting Class Here.