After starting the month scorching hot on the recruiting trail, the USC Trojans have seemingly cooled off a bit.
The Trojans still have the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, but the loss of 5-star LB Xavier Griffin certainly stings. However, it did open up a spot and opportunities for new players.
On the defensive side, LB Talanoa Ili has been trending towards the Trojans for quite some time. LB Coach Rob Ryan was out in Hawaii again recently to meet with Ili and his family.
Another point of emphasis in this recruiting cycle has been the offensive line. Coach Zach Hanson has put together a really nice class, headlined by 5-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe.
Another top local recruit that the Trojans have been pursuing is interior offensive lineman Samuel Utu. He has been trending towards the USC Trojans, but On3’s Steve Wiltfong just put in an expert prediction for Utu to commit to the Washington Huskies over the Trojans.
247 Sports also has a crystal ball prediction for Utu to commit to Washington.
Samuel Utu Predicted To Commit To Washington Over USC Trojans
The 4-star Orange Lutheran product had been highly favored to the Trojans for much of the early recruiting process, but it now seems that both sides are heading in different directions.
“USC was considered the early favorite, but they’re out of the picture moving forward.”
According to On3, Utu has visited the USC Trojans seven times and has an official visit scheduled for June 13, but we will see if that official visit holds up.
According to On3 Industry Rankings, Utu is the 14th-ranked interior offensive lineman in the 2026 class and would be the Trojans’ highest-rated iOL. They currently have Esun Tafa committed, who is the 19th-ranked iOL.
Alabama and SMU are recruiting Utu hard, as well, but for now, it looks like Washington has taken over as the leader in the clubhouse. It will be interesting to see if USC gets back into the race or if they have moved on to other prospects.
The Trojans currently have 6 offensive linemen in the 2026 class, 3 of them being interior offensive linemen.