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USC HC Lincoln Riley visits 2026 5-star ATH Brandon Arrington

hunterby:Hunter Shelton•01/06/25•

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Brandon Arrington 2 copy 1.jpg

USC has been one of the programs mentioned the most throughout the recruitment of La Mesa (Calif.) Mount Miguel five-star athlete Brandon Arrington thus far.

With coaching staffs now able to get back into contact with prospects, Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley is wasting no time, making the short trip to see one of the top soon-to-be senior recruits in the nation.

The USC skipper was at Mount Miguel on Monday:

Arrington has already been to USC multiple times, including his first game visit back in November. He watched the in-state school roll past Nebraska and left with high remarks for Riley and the Trojans.

“I had a great experience at USC,” Arrington told On3’s Chad Simmons after the visit. “It was a great game and I had a great time with the players and the coaches. The atmosphere was fun. The band, the people, the DJ’s – everything was fun.”

The Trojans have some work to do in the recruitment of Arrington, however. Texas A&M nabbed the edge in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) during the fall and Mike Elko’s program has done a remarkable job recruiting the Golden State since he took over in College Station. On3’s Steve Wiltfong logged a pick in favor of the Aggies landing Arrington back in October.

The 6-foot, 180-pounder had previously hinted at a commitment coming sooner rather than later, telling On3 at the end of October that he was looking at a decision potentially at the end of his junior year. A&M and Oklahoma were two schools mentioned as the pace-setters.

USC eyeing big-time 2026 recruiting class

The Trojans’ 2026 recruiting class already features seven commits and ranks No. 2 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. It features four blue-chippers, including elite in-state cornerbacks RJ Sermons and Brandon Lockhart.

Sermons is the No. 27 recruit and No. 2 CB in the nation, while Lockhart checks in at No. 57 overall and No. 5 at CB. The pair flank four-star linebacker Xavier Griffin, the No. 2 LB in the nation, at the top of the class.

Arrington is the No. 8 overall prospect, No. 1 athlete and No. 2 player in California in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

As a junior for Mount Miguel, Arrington caught 31 passes for 527 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for a score, according to MaxPreps. He also had 309 kick-return yards on special teams and acquired 26 total tackles and an interception on defense.