Lincoln Riley makes the ultimate splash landing 5-star Honor Fa'alave-Johnson

The USC Trojans are still waiting for Lincoln Riley to finally breakthrough to the College Football Playoff, and eventually a National Championship. While the Trojans haven't been able to get over the hump, they may not need to wait much longer with the way that Lincoln Riley is recruiting. The biggest reason for leaving Oklahoma for USC was the recruiting advantages of being in Los Angeles, and Riley is finally taking advantage.

Last recruiting cycle, Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans signed the Nation's top recruiting class laying a great foundation for the future. The goal is now stacking loaded classes, and Lincoln Riley is making a major statement in the 2027 recruiting cycle.

Honor Fa'alave-Johnson is arguably Riley's biggest recruiting win

On Saturday Afternoon, Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans picked up a major recruiting win, beating out Oregon, Miami, LSU, Texas, and Notre Dame for elite recruit Honor Fa'alave-Johnson.

Honor Fa'alave-Johnson is the 18th ranked player in the Country, the top ranked athlete in the class, and the top ranked recruit out of California. Early on, a criticism of Lincoln Riley was letting elite talent leave the state, but keeping Fa'alave-Johnson at home shows how much his approach has changed for the better.

Fa'alave Johnson can make an impact on either side of the ball which makes it interesting to see where the Trojans deploy him. Fa'alave Johnson could realistically play running back, wide receiver, safety, or cornerback and could even be talented enough for the Trojans to explore letting him play a Travis Hunter role.

Landing the top recruit in California gives the Trojans the Nation's 7th ranked recruiting class as Lincoln Riley and his staff start to push toward that top ranking. The Trojans are still in the mix for several 5-stars and with the way Riley has recruited, fireworks are just waiting to happen.