Remember just a few days ago when the buzz around USC was about who was leaving rather than who was coming in? With the recent exits of players like Kyron Hudson, Duce Robinson, Mason Murphy, and others, the narrative started shifting toward one that questioned Lincoln Riley’s grip on keeping elite talent in-house. Well, the winds might just be changing again.
College football’s landscape moves fast—whispers turn into departures, and chaos turns into clarity overnight. While USC fans have been processing the waves of roster exits, Riley may have just received a piece of news that could settle nerves and restack momentum. A promising update from a local, highly talented prospect has arrived, and it’s exactly the kind of move that could help USC tighten things up and look to the future. And just like that, the story’s heating up again.
The recruiting dominoes may be toppling in Lincoln Riley’s favor with Luke Sorenson, a rising tight end out of Servite High School in California. The 2026 prospect recently picked up a USC offer, and based on his words, it hit home. “This offer is huge for me,” Sorenson told On3’s Chad Simmons. “I grew up a USC fan and my mom and uncle are alumni of the school. The offensive talent and the offensive coaching staff that they have are hard to pass up. The offer puts USC near or at the top for me, for sure. They will be hard to beat.”
There’s something about an in-state kid with Trojan bloodlines that just hits different, and Sorenson seems to fit that mold perfectly. The fact that he’s not just interested—but genuinely excited—speaks volumes. “I will take an official visit to USC but the date is still being finalized,” he said. “I will also be at multiple USC practices this spring.” That’s not just interest—that’s involvement.
Servite (Calif.) TE Luke Sorenson recently added an offer from USC and the local recruit has multiple connections to the Trojans.
“This offer is huge for me,” Sorenson said.
The latest: https://t.co/a3fKEO8gYK (On3+) pic.twitter.com/RhjQbakiu2
— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) April 7, 2025
Despite serious interest from programs like Miami, Nebraska, Michigan, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Penn State, and UCLA, Sorenson is signaling that the Trojans are, at the very least, co-leaders—if not outright frontrunners. “What’s most important to me is how a program develops players, the atmosphere and the team culture,” Sorenson added.
That emphasis on culture and development plays right into what Riley has been trying to rebuild at USC—especially in the post-Caleb Williams era. And let’s not forget: Sorenson is just 16 years old. By age alone, he could easily be in the 2027 class. But at 6’4” and 240 pounds, he already looks the part of a Power 5 tight end. He’s ranked as the No. 53 tight end in the 2026 class, and scouts are high on his upside—especially given his physical transformation in the last year.
“You know, there’s a lot of nights where I’m lifting twice a day and running routes. I’m eating 5,000 calories just to put weight on. I put on 40 pounds this offseason, I’m at 240,” he explained. “I work a lot in the weight room. One of the biggest attributes is being strong in football. And so after going from 190 pounds to 240 pounds, you wanna make sure your speed isn’t lost. I ran a 4.6 (40-yard dash) at 230 pounds so I was able to keep my speed. That was my biggest thing. It’s a lot of work and repetition.” That’s the kind of work ethic and mindset Riley wants to build his team around. And amid the highs comes the call.
Sorenson excites, but the portal looms for Lincoln Riley and Co.
Of course, it’s not all sunshine in Trojan land. While the Sorenson update is a big positive for the future, Riley is also staring down a critical transfer portal window that could determine how far this team can realistically go in 2025. Despite 19 new additions to the roster this offseason, there are still two glaring needs that could become problems if not addressed: offensive tackle and linebacker.
USC analyst Marc Kulkin put it bluntly: “It’s going to be linebacker and a little more depth—one more offensive tackle. Just for depth purposes.” The linebacker issue is especially pressing. USC runs a two-linebacker scheme under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, but depth is razor-thin behind starters Eric Gentry and Desman Stephens II.
“I don’t think you’re going to see Eric Gentry and Desman Stephens II come off the field a lot. They’re good. I don’t want to say he’s injury-prone. But every year he’s played, he’s had an injury that’s kept him out of at least one or two games per year,” Kulkin noted. That durability concern makes the linebacker spot arguably USC’s most urgent portal target.
Offensively, it’s less about overhauling and more about solidifying. Riley’s recruiting has brought in five offensive linemen in each of the last few classes, but depth at tackle is still thin. Elijah Paige has that left tackle spot locked down, but behind him, it’s mostly younger guys still finding their footing. “It’s on the edges, at the tackle spots, where they could probably use one more experienced guy,” Kulkin added.
With USC leading the On3 Big Ten recruiting rankings for the 2026 class—yes, even ahead of powerhouses like Ohio State and Oregon—the trajectory is clear. But unless Lincoln Riley shores up those last couple of gaps, it could still be a bumpy ride. The recruiting update on Sorenson gives USC fans something to be genuinely excited about: a physical, high-upside in-state weapon who already bleeds cardinal and gold. But in the short term, the transfer portal remains the lever that can either elevate or expose USC’s 2025 outlook. One linebacker. One tackle. That’s all it might take.
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