USC offers five-star 2026 edge rusher Kevin Ford Jr.

The Trojans have to land high-end prospects. Here’s one.

USC needs elite players. Class of 2026 prospect Kevin Ford Jr. fits the bill. For, an edge rusher from Duncanville (Texas), has announced via his social media channel that he has received an offer from USC. The 2026 prospect is the No. 1-rated player from the state of Texas in the 2026 class, 36th nationally.

The 6-3, 225-pound Ford has offers from Texas, Arizona State, Nebraska, Penn State, SMU, North Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Florida, UCF and Baylor among others.

The Trojans have lagged behind the top programs in the country in terms of overall recruiting rankings and top-line recruiting prowess. USC is outside the top 15 in the national rankings for the 2024 class. That’s not terrible, but it’s certainly not what USC had in mind. It is below expectations for Lincoln Riley and his program. It’s several notches below Oregon, Ohio State, and Miami, three programs which have not won any conference championships the past three seasons but have done a lot better than USC on the trail and in the transfer portal.

Landing five-star prospects is exactly what USC needs to elevate itself as a program. Ford gives the Trojans an opportunity to boost their roster and change the narrative.

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