“I want people to know we’re coming. I want teams to know we’re coming in recruiting. We’re here, we’re going to be here for a very long time.” That’s how Lincoln Riley and USC’s new GM Chad Bowden raised a warning. Turns out they did not just talk big, but walked big too. Good news for the Trojans fan club. Riley has done some phenomenal recruiting this offseason. USC has jumped out to the No. 1 recruiting class in 2026. For the ones who had been taking USC too lightly, the 134 FBS competitors, they have got the ‘Proceed with caution’ warning. Riley’s latest steal comes off as the myth breaker for the ones who held a perception about the HC when it came to his recruiting power.
A big win for the Trojans fam, indeed. On April 5, they landed the commitment from four-star running back Deshonne Redeaux. However, the chase was not easy. Redeaux’s six finalists were the Georgia Bulldogs, Michigan Wolverines, Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, UCLA Bruins, and Washington Huskies. But something worked in favor of Riley’s Trojans. The player said in an interview with On3, “It came down to where I feel I can build my legacy, become a game-changer on and off the field and where I can make that early impact.” Now, something stands out in Redeaux’s recruitment other than his athletic abilities. And what’s that? He is the No. 19 prospect from Oaks Christian, California. Does that mean Riley is breaking the myth held against him, that is him turning back to in-state recruits, little by little?
On April 7, 247Sports explored Riley breaking free of the image construct brought up against him. Analyst Emily Proud had one question for co-host and ex-NFL player Gerald Dixon. “USC, the number one class in 2026. I know it’s early, but what early statement is Lincoln Riley and his staff making right now?” Dixon replied that the Trojans are whitewashing their image and setting a new standard. “That we got California on lock, and when you are recruiting at a high level like that and you go out and you hire the GM Chad Bowden, you’re making a statement. Everybody in the recruiting world once heard that Lincoln Riley does not want to recruit California. Shame on us.” Remember when James Franklin took up his job at Penn State, what did he say?
“Dominate the state,” and for the most part, he has kept the top Keystone State prospects at home. But at that time, Riley failed to embrace the fertile recruiting ground California possesses. The HC seemed to feel Southern California should be able to sell itself anywhere nationally and haul in the best nationally to be the best. That’s how he never prioritized in-state recruits. But Riley is a changed man now. As Dixon shared, “This 2026 class he’s knocking it out the park.” But at the same time he is eyeing the recruits who are already hailed by SEC and Big 10 giants. “He’s going out, and he’s targeting national potential athletes that can come out and ball in California.” There is a big army of in-state recruits in the 2026 class, in which, among the 21 commitments, 62 percent are from California.
The list of in-state stars includes cornerback RJ Sermons (Rancho Cucamonga, California), cornerback Brandon Lockhart (Loyola, Los Angeles), and defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui (Mater Dei, California), among others. However, for his latest recruiting win, Riley is indebted to the rapping legend.
The unsung hero behind Lincoln Riley’s latest recruitment win
On April 7, Blake Ruffino, on his podcast, brushed up on the 2024 summer memories. “Last summer, they had a very aggressive push. They had commitments from a number of guys that were out of state.” However, Riley still rode confidently. The reason? He had the verbal commitment from the 5-star Carrollton High School star Julian “JuJu” Lewis. But there, too, the universe thought of giving them a hard time as he later flipped to Deion Sanders’ Colorado.
But this time, the universe thought of paying him back, that too in a big way. Here, Snoop Dogg came off as the messiah in wooing Redeaux’s heart. After all, it was a tug-of-war kind of situation for the young chap. He had racked up 1,263 yards and 17 touchdowns in the 2024 season. However, finally, he gave his heart to Riley’s squad. He said, “Forever in my heart, I wanted to go to USC. That is where my heart was at the start, then things got real with UCLA and some others. Now, I get to stay home, follow my and go to the school I dreamed of playing for.” Amidst this, Snoop Dogg had a big role to play.
Deshonne Redeaux credited the rapping legend for the reason he will play Division 1 football on a scholarship. “I played in his Snoop Youth Football League, and it pathed the way for me to reach my goal of getting a Division 1 college scholarship.” Call it USC 2.0, as Lincoln Riley’s reboot is making way for local legends to rise.
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