Just a couple of weeks ago, all eyes were on Green Bay, Wisconsin as we witnessed the annual spectacle that is the NFL Draft. An event that was once a mainstay inside Radio City Music Hall in New York City, has become a rotating event — typically hosted by northern cities whilst The Shield traditionally awards southern sites the Super Bowl.
However, regardless of where the NFL Draft has resided, one thing has been certain — that Notre Dame and Southern California have played prominent roles. In fact, since its inception on February 8, 1936 thru April 26, 2025, the draft has featured 1,071 players from either Notre Dame or USC — the Fighting Irish have had 538 selections whilst the Trojans have had 533. These totals are good for first and second all-time by school.
Fast forward to present day, and it’s of no surprise that we find these Jeweled Shillelagh rivals ranked highly in terms of high school recruiting. With that said, it’s rather notable that currently USC and UND are first and second, respectively, in team recruiting rankings for the Class of 2026, according to 247Sports.
Now, things can certainly change from early May to signing day on February 4, 2026 — often times we see the likes of Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State rise inside the top three once all is said and done. However, let’s give the two blue bloods from college football’s most famed intersectional rivalry their current kudos.
USC Trojans
As aforementioned, the Trojans are currently perched atop 247Sports team rankings. The 11-time national champions, USC, has hauled in an astounding 27 student-athletes already. To put that sizable total into perspective, the Trojans 2025 Class was 24 players strong. Hence, Southern Cal, has already topped last year’s haul, and it’s still only spring.
Of the verbally committed, USC features two five-star talents — both of which reign from Southeastern Conference territory — in Xavier Griffin and Keenyi Pepe. Griffin is the top athlete in the Class of 2026 and the top overall prospect from the state of Georgia. Meanwhile, Pepe is the top prospect from Florida whilst projecting as the class’s third best offensive tackle.
Overall, the Trojans have obtained eight Top 100 prospects and 14 players ranked within 247Sports Top 200. Needless to say, this class is as star-studded as the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
As for Notre Dame, the Golden Domers are currently cooking on the recruiting trail. They’ve secured a handful of commitments, and then some, over the past month — the most recent verbal commit came from four-star running back Javian Osborne this past weekend. As a result, the Irish have surged into second place in the recruiting rankings.
Thus far, head coach Marcus Freeman has secured 14 pledges across eight different states for the Class of 2026. Included in this haul is eight student-athletes that are ranked inside 247Sports Top 250. The most notable player among the bunch is the nation’s 14th overall recruit in Rodney Dunham — he’s the 2nd ranked edge rusher in the class and the 2nd best prospect from the state of North Carolina.
Unlike Southern Cal — whose recruiting class appears to be near complete — the Irish still have room to grow. Expect Coach Free to continue acquiring blue chip talent — you know, the players that Brian Kelly said weren’t attainable in South Bend — as the year presses on.
Key Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025 | Notre Dame vs Southern California