The USC Trojans have done a fantastic job in recruiting California for their 2026 class. There is still a long way to go, but with 6 out of 9 commitments from the Golden State, they are certainly trending in the right direction.
That being said, and as I have discussed multiple times on the USC LAFB Show, you still have to recruit top talent out of state and make USC desirable for every player around the Country. California should be the focus, and then you fill out the class with the other recruiting hotbeds.
One such hotbed, and a place that USC has had success in during the Lincoln Riley era is Texas. The State of Texas is right up there with California when it comes to elite high school football, and the Trojans have always targeted players from there.
One player that they have their eye on currently is 4-star EDGE Jamarion Carlton.
Carlton just announced his Top 6, which included USC, along with LSU, and then four Texas schools: Baylor, SMU, Texas A&M, and Texas.
USC Trojans Will Need To Beat Out Texas Schools For Jamarion Carlton
Beating out the hometown team is never easy (hence why we always say USC should own California), but the Trojans and Lincoln Riley have built a lot of great relationships in Texas and have a good track record landing players from there. Four players in their 2025 class are from Texas.
In an interview with On3, Carlton spoke on his decision to focus on these six schools and why.
“It came down to relationships with all the coaches. That is major for me. The scheme that they run is important too. How much they stay in contact meant a lot though and all six schools came to see me in January.”
So far, the main coaches from SC that have made an impact on Carlton are Coach Nua and Coach Lynn.
“The coaches in general stand out at USC. It is different with them and Coach Nua stood out a lot when he came to see me. He said things differently that stayed with me. I like how he recruits me and I like Coach Lynn, the defensive coordinator too. Both of those guys came to see me.”
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It is great to see that both Coach Nua and Lynn have already begun building a relationship with Carlton, and we know that Coach Henderson and Riley will get involved down the stretch as well.
Carlton has never been to California, so once he schedules his visit, the Trojans will have the opportunity to blow him away, similar to how they did Jahkeem Stewart.
Per On3 recruiting rankings, Carlton is the 5th-ranked EDGE in the nation and the 44th-ranked overall player. USC currently has two Top-50 commits in linebacker Xavier Griffin (25) and CB RJ Sermons (30).