24 hours ago, all indications were that elite 4-star EDGE Luke Wafle was set to commit to the USC Trojans. He had a great official visit to USC this past weekend, and we heard that it was pretty much a done deal. He was waiting to get back home to New Jersey to make the commitment announcement.
The college recruiting business changes quickly, however, and now it appears that Wafle has changed course, and Steve Wiltfong of On3 has even logged an expert prediction for him to commit to Ohio State.
FONG BOMB: On3’s @SWiltfong_ has logged an expert prediction for Ohio State to land elite EDGE Luke Wafle🌰
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 18, 2025
Wafle ranks No. 14 NATL. (No. 4 EDGE) in the 2026 On300.
Intel: https://t.co/rcZgNhEqXM pic.twitter.com/tLjbtRJII4
USC Trojans No Longer Favorite To Land Luke Wafle
In talking to many people with recruiting knowledge, no one quite knows why the shift away from USC happened, and so abruptly.
The USC Trojans felt strongly after this weekend that Wafle would ultimately announce his commitment to the Trojans. So much so that 5-star EDGE Trenton Henderson canceled his official visit that was scheduled for this weekend and scheduled a visit to Texas instead.
So what happened?
This has not been confirmed, but if he went from potentially committing to USC to flipping to Ohio State in a span of 24 or so hours, it is fairly safe to say that Ohio State ponied up a pretty substantial NIL counteroffer.
They had been the leader in his recruiting for much of this year, and USC just pulled ahead in the past few days. The Buckeyes easily could have sweetened their offer and convinced him back to their side.
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There is also the issue of distance. Wafle is from New Jersey, clear across the country. I haven’t heard how much weight this had on the decision, but if a program like Ohio State offered a larger NIL package and is situated much closer to home, it can certainly be a factor.
So Who’s Next For USC Trojans
While missing out on a player as talented as Wafle is unfortunate, at this point in the cycle, any commitment additions are just cherries on top of an already magnificent sundae.
The Trojans already have the No. 1 2026 class and a total of 29 commitments. The top priority is keeping all 29 commits together till signing day. Any new additions are just a bonus.
That being said, at this moment in time, the only other EDGE player on the Trojans’ radar is 4-star KJ Ford. He is scheduled for an official visit to USC this coming weekend. It will be interesting to see if this Wafle situation has any effect on Ford’s recruitment moving forward.
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If Ford does indeed take his visit, you have to think that USC will go all in on getting a commitment. Either way, there is no panic.
It’s June. They have the No. 1 class and 29 commitments. There is plenty of time to keep evaluating and get their desired number of 35 by December.
Just enjoy the ride. Drop your comments below or on our USC Message Board.