USC's game with No. 4-ranked Penn State on Saturday didn't go as hoped for the Trojans, as they blew a lead and lost 33-30 in overtime, but the program didn't come out empty-handed.
After hosting a slew of top national prospects in the Coliseum, USC reeled in a commitment from 2026 Rivals100 defensive end Braeden Jones on Sunday.
"The LA vibe, the campus, the coaches and how appreciative they are of me -- I really felt the love going down there," Jones told Rivals.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound defensive end out of Chicago is ranked the No. 5 SDE, the No. 73 overall national prospect in the 2026 class and the No. 1 recruit in the state of Illinois.
He chose USC over Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan and many others.
It's still very early for the 2026 recruiting cycle and USC fans know well that early commitments are no guarantee, but for what it's worth, the Trojans now have the top-ranked 2026 recruiting class with seven commits already.
Six of those are on the defensive side in Jones, fellow four-star Rivals100 DE Xavier Griffin (Gainesville, Georgia), four-star Rivals250 DT Viliami Moala (South Jordan, Utah), four-star Rivals100 CB Brandon Lockhart (Loyola HS), four-star CB Madden Riordan (Sierra Canyon HS) and four-star CB Josh Holland (St. John Bosco HS).
Watch Jones' highlights here:
- PRO
- WR
- S
- WR
- CB
- OLB
- OLB
- S
- SDE
- DT
