Two USC Trojans Recruiting Targets To Pay Attention To

The USC Trojans and coach Lincoln Riley have been able to add a significant amount of talent to the roster through both the transfer portal and high school recruiting. Specifically on the recruiting side, USC has had a very strong offseason, hoisting the No. 1 recruiting class for 2026 and, as of now, the No. 10 recruiting class for 2027, per On3.

As USC prepares for this crucial recruiting weekend, here are two key recruiting targets for the Trojans who could make their final decision to become a part of the USC program.

2027 Safety Paisios Polamalu

2027 safety Paisios Polamalu who already went out to USC for a visit on June 12, and as many know, is the son of former USC legend and NFL star safety Troy Polamalu.

Based on the family ties that Polamalu has to the Trojans, it does appear that USC may have the advantage to land him. So far, the Trojans have added a few other safeties in the class, including four-star Gavin Williams and five-star Honor Fa'alave Johnson, who can play both corner and safety.

With that in mind, the addition of Polamalu could be the final piece to create one of the better safety recruiting classes for the 2027 cycle. Like his father, Polamalu plays with a very physical play style and has been able to be quite productive at St. Augustine, with his junior season being his best yet.

As a junior in 2025, Polamalu recorded 108 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, one sack, 10 pass breakups, and six interceptions. Standing at 5-10 and 175 pounds, Polamalu has a solid frame and could also present the positional flexibility to line up in the slot at nickel corner if that is what USC needs him to do.

Finding players who can be productive is great, and with the production Polamalu has put on display, there is a great chance that he could develop into a great contributor for USC down the line.

So, with summer visits wrapping up, it will be interesting to see if Polamalu does pull the trigger to officially commit to the school of his choice, potentially following a similar path to his father to become one of the next great players at USC.

2027 Offensive Tackle Aidan Ray

Another name to monitor is three-star offensive tackle Aidan Ray from Plano West Wolf High School, who previously went on a visit to USC on June 12.

For the 2027 class, the Trojans have one offensive lineman committed so far, which is four-star offensive tackle Drew Fielder. With that in mind, adding more talent and depth to the trenches for the future is never a bad thing in a conference like the Big Ten, where physicality on the line of scrimmage is essential to consistently winning games.

As Ray enters his senior season, he has great size, standing at 6-6 and 301 pounds, and could continue to develop his strength to become an even better prospect. On film, Ray has shown that he has the ability to move in space on pulls, reset the line of scrimmage working on double teams with guards, and can also be reliable as a pass blocker with balanced pass sets and footwork.

Heading into 2026, Ray has an opportunity to continue developing his game across the board to become an even more well-rounded lineman.

USC has offered Ray, but he has interest from a variety of other schools that have also offered him, including rival UCLA, Northwestern, Houston, and Kansas State according to 247Sports. It is important to note that Ray has taken two visits to Houston and Kansas State, per On3, which may indicate that he could be leaning toward a commitment to one of those two Big 12 programs.

However, as many coaches and recruiters around college football know, one weekend and one visit could change a player's entire decision and outlook on his recruitment process.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as Two USC Trojans Recruiting Targets To Pay Attention To.

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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 9:59 AM.