USC Football: Trojans Courting Two Elite 2026 Sophomore Defenders

USC Football Head Coach Lincoln Riley declares his expectation for Trojans in 2022

USC continues to be aggressive on the recruiting trail

Your USC Trojans wrapped up a 2024 recruiting class with 20 commits, and their 2025 class has gotten a boost ever since elite quarterback prospect Julian Lewis reclassified from the class of 2026. USC’s 2026 class already has 3 commits, and the Trojan recruiting department is keen on expansion.

Over the past 24 hours, USC has reached out to two defenders in the class of 2026, one a linebacker and the other a defensive lineman. Let’s take a look at who they are and what type of player they could develop into at the next level.

USC Offers a Pair of 2026 Recruits

Buford (Buford, GA) Linebacker CJ Sibley

CJ Sibley already has offers from Oregon, Michigan, LSU, Miami, and Kentucky to name a few. He has two years of high school ball left, but already has developed into a force at linebacker for a very talented Buford team. Sibley lined up at outside linebacker as well as defensive end during his sophomore season, and excelled at both. Given how athletic he is, the 6-foot-1 Sibley might project better as an off-ball linebacker. You can see for yourself how well Sibley moves when in coverage.

His recruitment is blowing up right now, so it will be a hard sell for a recently rebuilt defensive coaching staff to court Sibley. He also pinned his Ohio State offer tweet to the top of his profile, for what it’s worth.

Bastrop (Bastrop, TX) Defensive Lineman Tiki Hola

By 247 Sports’ count, Hola is the 11th-best sophomore in Texas, the 11th-best defensive line prospect in his class, and a top-100 overall recruit. With a rapidly expanding offer list that includes Georgia, Houston, Nebraska, Baylor, Texas, and Tennessee, the 6-foot-3, 270-pound interior defensive lineman has plenty of options. He held it down at nose tackle in a 3-man front during his sophomore season at Bastrop High School, and is the type of space-eater that USC needs to do a better job of recruiting out of high school. Former USC head coach and now Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian visited Hola at Bastrop recently, so it’s safe to say he’s high on Texas’ list. Check out Hola’s highlights below:

High school football: Top-rated prospect in Class of 2026 Julian Lewis commits to USC

Defensive ends coach Shaun Nua put in the calls to both Sibley and Hola. The Trojans will need to do a better job of landing defenders than they have been under Lincoln Riley if they wish to improve on their poor defensive performance in 2023.