2026 athlete Madden Riordan commits to USC

USC offered Madden Riordan on Oct. 22. At that time, the 2026 athlete out of Pasadena (Calif.) Sierra Canyon wasn’t really thinking about committing. He had a great visit to California earlier this season. San Diego State was on his radar. But he didn’t grow up cheering for those schools.

Riordan has been attending USC games at the Coliseum since he was in elementary school. His father is a big fan of the Trojans. The younger Riordan followed his lead. Once that offer from Lincoln Riley had time to settle in, the 5-foot-11, 145-pound sophomore was ready to commit to his dream school.

“It doesn’t feel real,” Riordan told On3 about his commitment. “Being committed to USC is hard to process. I told Coach Riley and Coach Donte Williams on Tuesday, so I made the decision about a week or so ago.

“I started going to USC games when I was 8 or 9 years old, so to be committed is like a dream coming true. I was back at the Washington game, I visited earlier this week to spend time on the campus and I was at the season opener too. I have probably been to 15-16 games and I love it at USC.”

It is early, and Riordan will likely take other visits with him being in the 2026 class, but being in USC’s backyard and growing up a fan of the Trojans, this felt like the right time to make that call.

“This was a pretty easy decision. USC is home for me. It is close, I love the coaches and it’s where I want to be.”

Riordan has a bond with Williams and believes in Riley

Williams is from Los Angeles. He is one of the top recruiters in the country. Williams knows how to relate to recruits and he and Riordan hit is off right away.

“I love his energy,” Riordan said. “Talking to Coach Williams is like talking to another player. He is always there, he is someone that can check us and we have a great relationship. His energy is so high and he is a coach you want to be around and play for.”

Riordan may have a better relationship with Williams, but he is just as excited about his opportunity to play for Riley.

“Coach Riley is bringing USC back. It is going to take some time, and some are getting a little impatient, but he has a great plan. He is working to keep the southern California kids home and he is definitely building something.

“I love his confidence, his plan for the Big Ten and what he is going to do with the program.”