When Pete Carroll was in the prime of his life in USCthe legendary coach is on a mission to take over the California recruiting scene. Having turned the Trojans into perennial title contenders, Carroll intended to “put a fence” around the Southland to keep all of its best players at home in the Cardinal and Gold.
This turned out to be a winning strategy. But recruiting the best players in your own backyard isn't really rocket science, according to Carroll.
“It seemed like common sense” Carroll told The Times in 2006.after the Trojans signed back-to-back recruiting classes, they finished No. 1 overall.
However, after Carroll left, his successors at USC did not make the situation look so simple. Any semblance of USC's local dominance under Carroll has been completely lost over the last decade as other football powers like Ohio State or Oregon planted their own flags on the Trojans' home turf. The problem only got worse Lincoln Rileyas the coach initially cast a wider net nationally, targeting top prospects in states like Texas and Florida while local stars signed and shined elsewhere.
Mater Dei receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt makes a catch over the middle against Bishop Gorman at Santa Ana Stadium.
(Craig Weston)
Riley waited until his fourth season to return to the strategy that worked so well for Carroll.
And it took less than a year after that for USC to return to the top of the recruiting world.
The coronation became official Wednesday when USC took the No. 1 recruiting class in the country on its first signing day, marking the first time in nearly two decades that the Trojans have sat atop college football's recruiting throne.
Not only that, but it was the first time since 2008 that a school outside the Southeastern Conference had the best record in the country, according to 247 Sports. And for Riley, this is the first time he has finished in the top five in the class, let alone first overall.
He reached those heights this cycle, much like Carroll, led by local prospects. Of the 35 Trojans who signed Wednesday, 20 are from the state of California. Seven of the state's top 25 prospects, as ranked by 247 Sports, chose USC, while no other school signed more than four from that top tier. Eight players in this class come from Trinity League powerhouse after USC signed just five players in the previous four classes combined.
Among that group were four top prospects from Santa Ana Mater Dei High, the prep powerhouse that once produced Matt Leinart and has long served as a major sales pipeline for USC. Until recently, these relationships faded into the background. But on Wednesday morning, the Mater Dei gymnasium featured signs with the names of top tight end Mark Bowman, top-100 four-star defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui and four-star linebacker Sean Scott, as well as elite linebacker Caden Dixon-Wyatt, whose signing day transfer from Ohio State to USC that morning was one of the biggest stories of the day.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, Bowman was the only previous Trojans commit who remained unsigned.
Dixon-Wyatt's late shot was the point of opposition on Wednesday. general manager Chad Bowdenwhose arrival less than a year ago changed the Trojan recruitment operation.
Riley used to irritate some locals when he implied that many of the local players on USC's roster were only there because they were from local schools. Mater Dei hasn't sent a prospect to USC since 2022. Before Wednesday, only one player had signed, Bellflower St.'s Riley. John Bosco.
“Hiding behind the screen of, 'Well, at least we recruit kids from California,' doesn't do the program any good,” Riley said in 2023.
But a few weeks into the job, Bowden made it clear that USC's focus would be primarily on Southern California. He said in January that he considered the local Class of 2026 to be the best Southland has seen in two decades – not to mention Bowden was in the fifth grade at the start of this cycle.
“When the national championships were won here, when the Rose Bowls were won here, you know, you look back at Pete Carroll's classes – '02, '03, '04 – over 80% of the recruiting classes were from the state of California,” Bowden said in January. “History repeats itself. It always does. And if you look at the little details of how programs are built, how this place was built and when the success happened, that was a key part of USC being on top. My plan and my vision is to bring that back and take care of the state.”
Mater Dei's Tomuhini Topui (52) begins to celebrate his victory over Bishop Gorman.
(Craig Weston)
The plan began with rebuilding relationships with local recruiters, many of whom felt slighted by USC.
“We'll take care of these people and they'll know we're here,” Bowden said. “It's not done in one call. It's not a text message every day. It's done through consistent communication and action.”
In three months, from March to June, USC received commitments from 10 prospects in the state. Since then, recruits and their parents, coaches and local football influencers alike have raved about Bowden's efforts.
“It’s amazing how much better their class looks when they start prioritizing local kids and keeping those guys at home,” said Brandon Huffman, national recruiting editor for 247 Sports. “All their philosophical changes paid off in a big way.”
A renewed focus on the line of scrimmage was also a clear focus for USC's class, as nearly half (15) of the Trojans' 35 signees were either offensive linemen, defensive linemen or edge players. Offensive tackle Keeney Pepe, USC's top player taken fifth overall, is the first five-star offensive lineman to sign with the school since Austin Jackson in 2017.
Increasing resources to pay players hasn't hurt USC's efforts either. It's no coincidence that the Trojans faced a flood of commitments last spring and early summer, shortly before the House deal took effect July 1. Those deals were made early to avoid a $20.5 million revenue share cap for the 2025 season. ESPN reported this week that the new class will cost “more than $9 million.”
USC is certainly not alone in this regard: revenue sharing, as well as payments for names, likenesses and likenesses, have become an important part of this process. It's not a situation Carroll has ever had to deal with as a coach.
But on Wednesday, USC returned to the same hallowed recruiting ground that Carroll once held, along with the nation's top class and newfound hope that 2026 could be the start of something even bigger.
