Latest news with #USCTrojans
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
College football recruiting rankings have a new No. 1
The Georgia Bulldogs have the best recruiting class in the SEC for several weeks and now, after a recent recruiting rankings update, the Dawgs have the best recruiting class in the country. Georgia recently surpassed the USC Trojans. USC had held the nation's top recruiting class for several months. The Big Ten has three of the nation's top 10 recruiting classes while the SEC has five top 10 recruiting classes including four of the top six. Of course, it is still early in the process for the class of 2026. The early signing period does not begin until December and recruiting powerhouses need to prove themselves on the field this fall in order to secure top recruiting classes. Despite having the top ranked recruiting class, Georgia is no lock to finish the cycle with the best recruiting class. Georgia has more commitments than any other team with a top 10 recruiting class outside of USC. Additionally, Georgia's average commitment is ranked lower than the average LSU, Alabama or Oregon commitment. The LSU Tigers have just 16 commitments, but have the highest ranked average commitment (93.67) of any top 10 recruiting team on 247Sports. Class of 2026 college football recruiting rankings Georgia Bulldogs (30 commitments) USC Trojans (31 commitments) Texas A&M Aggies (23 commitments) Alabama Crimson Tide (21 commitments) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (26 commitments) Texas Longhorns (26 commitments) Ohio State Buckeyes (21 commitments) LSU Tigers (16 commitments) Michigan Wolverines (21 commitments) Miami Hurricanes (22 commitments) All recruiting rankings are per 247Sports and are as of July 27. This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Georgia football now has the nation's No. 1 recruiting class
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
With Saniyah Hall Commitment, USC Continues Recruiting Prowess
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 31: Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb of the USC Trojans giving a high five to ... More Kayleigh Heckel #9 before their game against the UConn Huskies during the Elite Eight round of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Spokane Arena on March 31, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) In May 2021, Lindsay Gottlieb stepped down as a Cleveland Cavaliers assistant to become the head women's basketball coach at the University of Southern California. For the Trojans, it was a coup luring one of the sport's best coaches back to the college game. And for Gottlieb, it was a chance to return to the state where she had made a mark as Cal's head women's coach, leading the Bears to seven NCAA tournament appearances in eight seasons. So far, the partnership has worked out well for both sides, and it seems likely to continue to thrive in the coming years. On Friday, high school senior Saniyah Hall, a 6-foot-1 guard and ESPN's No. 1 recruit, committed to USC during an appearance on ESPN's 'NBA Today' show. She said that she felt at 'home' at the school and 'loved' her future teammates. She also praised the coaching staff, including Gottlieb. 'She's definitely there just to support me,' Hall said. 'I've built a relationship with her. She's a great coach. Hall, who led the U.S. to the FIBA U19 Women's World Cup title this month, is the latest high school star to commit to USC. JuJu Watkins, the No. 1 recruit in the high school Class of 2023, signed with USC and became an instant sensation. Watkins was a first team All-American as a freshman and the national player of the year last season as a sophomore. Watkins, a 6-foot-2 guard who grew up near USC's campus, is averaging 25.5 points per game in her career. No player in women's basketball history has scored more points (1,709) than Watkins did in her first two seasons. Watkins sustained a serious knee injury during the NCAA tournament in March, and it is unknown when she will return. But if she is able to get back on the court sometime this season, she will be joining another potential star in Jazzy Davidson, an incoming freshman and the No. 1 recruit in the high school class of 2025. Davidson, a 6-foot-1 guard, played at Clackamas High School in Oregon, about 10 miles from Portland. She was a four-time Gatorade state player of the year and excelled on the national and international stage, including winning gold with Team USA in the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup and the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, where she averaged 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3 steals per game and made second-team all-tournament. At the U19 World Cup, Davidson started alongside Hall, who was named the Most Valuable Player after averaging 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game and helping the U.S. win each of its seven games. Hall, who played last season at Montverde Academy in Florida, recently transferred to SPIRE Academy in her home state of Ohio. Hall's other college finalists were UCLA, North Carolina and South Carolina. When Hall arrives at USC in the fall of 2026, the Trojans could have three overall No. 1 recruits on their roster. Watkins is not eligible to enter the WNBA draft until 2027, so if the rules remain in place she will spend one season playing with Davidson and Hall. If healthy, that trio should be among the best in the nation and keep USC back in the mix for an NCAA championship, which was unheard of in the 30 years before Gottlieb arrived. USC did win back-to-back national titles in 1983 and 1984, the second and third years that the NCAA hosted a women's basketball tournament. The Trojans also lost in the 1986 national title game and advanced to the Elite 8 in 1992 and 1994. But when Gottlieb arrived in 2021, USC had not made the tournament since 2014 and had won only two tournament games in the previous 27 years. After USC went 12-16 in Gottlieb's first season, the Trojans have made the NCAAs in each of the past three seasons, including as No. 1 seeds in 2024 and 2025 when they lost in the Elite 8 both times. This past season, the Trojans experienced a disappointing blow when Watkins sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the second round. With Watkins out, it was too much for the Trojans, who lost to eventual national champion UConn. While Watkins recovers from her injury, the Trojans will be under the radar a bit entering the season. Still, they do have some talented players with Davidson as well as sophomore guard Kennedy Smith (9.5 points per game last season) and transfer guards Kara Dunn (Georgia Tech) and Londynn Jones (UCLA). If Watkins can return close to or at full strength, USC should be back among the best in the country entering the NCAAs. And with the way Gottlieb is recruiting and coaching, the Trojans should remain an elite program just as the women's game continues to see more interest from fans and sponsors alike.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Keyshawn Johnson named best college football player to wear number 3
The Fox college football social media account put out a recent series of tweets on X. The network featured a breakdown of the best college football players to wear numbers 1-25. The USC Trojans had three stars crack the list. The first Trojan to make the cut was Keyshawn Johnson. Former 1995 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year Keyshawn Johnson was listed as the best player to wear the number 3. Keyshawn Johnson dominated the college scene. In two seasons at USC he had 2,358 yards receiving, 12 touchdowns, and 148 catches. In his USC career Keyshawn Johnson had 17 100-yard receiving games during, including a then-NCAA record of 12 in a single season. Keyshawn Johnson was named unanimous All-American in 1995, and finished seventh in Heisman voting that season. Johnson won back-to-back bowl game MVP awards in his two seasons at USC, the 1995 Cotton Bowl MVP and the 1996 Rose Bowl MVP. Johnson ended up being the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft, being taken by the New York Jets in a draft that featured Hall Of Famers Ray Lewis, Brian Dawkins, and Jonathan Ogden. Keyshawn Johnson didn't end up in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, but he was still inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and the Cotton Bowl Hall Of Fame. He was also inducted into the USC Hall of Fame in 2012. He finished his football career with a Super Bowl championship on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002) and was selected to the Pro Bowl three times due to many 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
No. 1 recruit in women's basketball signs with USC
It isn't just the USC Trojans football team which is surging with a recruiting class ranked No. 1 in the country in 2026. The USC women's basketball team is also getting top recruits. Juju Watkins is almost a lock to be the No. 1 overall pick in the (2027) WNBA draft even after recovering from her season-ending injury. Now the Trojans have two other top recruits in their class to take over the mantle. Here is Rivals writer Talia Goodman's breakdown on the Trojans striking gold with Saniyah Hall: "Saniyah Hall, the No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class, has committed to the USC Trojans. The 6-2 combo guard from Lorain (OH) previously took official visits to both North Carolina and UCLA. Hall played for the USA U19 team this year and averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, two assists, 2.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. Hall made her announcement on NBA Today this Friday. She started her high school career at Laurel (OH) before transferring to Montverde last season. Hall averaged 20.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks a game last season, leading Montverde to a 26-2 record. She recently announced that she'll be returning to Ohio to finish her high school career at SPIRE Academy. "USC has now landed three No. 1 recruits in the country in the last four years. The Trojans landed JuJu Watkins in 2023, Jazzy Davidson in 2025 and now Hall." USC is already one of the more well known programs for college football, but with its recruiting track record the last couple years, the Trojans could become a women's basketball powerhouse school. Next year the Trojans will have an insane three No. 1 recruited players on the court at the same time. Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb will have extremely high expectations following her and the Trojans this season if they get back Juju Watkins. That point aside, USC just might be the very, very early favorite for the 2027 national championship.
Reuters
5 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Saniyah Hall, No. 1 recruit in 2026, commits to USC
July 26 - Saniyah Hall, considered the No. 1 prospect in the women's basketball Class of 2026, committed to Southern California on Friday. "I would say it felt like home," Hall said in her announcement on ESPN. "The girls there are so fun to be around. The coaches ... have high support, but (head coach Lindsay Gottlieb) is definitely there to just support me and I've built a relationship with her -- she's a great coach." The commitment means the Trojans have signed three of the past four players ranked No. 1 in the country by ESPNW, following JuJu Watkins (2023) and Jasmine "Jazzy" Davidson (2025). Hall chose USC over rival UCLA and North Carolina. Hall is listed at 6-foot-2 and can play guard or forward. A native of Lorain, Ohio, she transferred from Florida's Montverde Academy to SPIRE Academy in Ohio for her senior year of high school. She was named MVP at the FIBA U19 Women's World Cup this summer, where she played alongside Davidson on Team USA as they won gold. Hall averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.9 steals in the tournament. Gottlieb has led USC to No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years. The Trojans fell in the Elite Eight both times. --Field Level Media
