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In-state USC offers 2026 Georgia 4-star WR commit Vance Spafford

hunterby:Hunter Shelton•01/13/25•

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Vance Spafford 9 copy 1
Photo by Chad Simmons/On3

At the beginning of November, Georgia landed a massive early commitment from Tustin (Calif.) Mission Viejo four-star wide receiver Vance Spafford.

The top-100 prospect needed just one visit to Athens to decide that it was the place for him at the next level, committing well before the end of his junior season. He named his top eight schools just a month prior to pledging to head coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs.

Now, USC is looking to get in the mix for Spafford. The pass-catcher announced an offer from the in-state Trojans on Monday:

Spafford was very open about his recruiting process in the lead-up to his commitment, citing that the schools at the top of his list were “showing the most love” and “prioritizing him.” Georgia clearly nailed its pitch and got the 5-foot-10, 175-pounder on board.

“Like they say, when you know, you know,” Spafford told On3. “I definitely felt it right after we left the facility to go home from Georgia. I wanted to take my time because I didn’t want to just react off of emotion. I just wanted to make sure. And my feelings kept stable for about three weeks and I was ready to make the move.”

Though USC is clearly behind in the prioritization department, it will look to catch up and make an immediate impact on Spafford. That will be made much easier given head coach Lincoln Riley and Co. are just 30 miles down the road from Mission Viejo.

Georgia and USC coming off big battles for top prospects in 2025

The 2025 recruiting cycle was filled with ups and downs for every program, but that was certainly prevalent for USC.

The Trojans landed out-of-the-blue commitments from Manchester (Ga.) Five-Star Plus+ defensive lineman Justus Terry and Warner Robins (Ga.) five-star EDGE Isaiah Gibson while the pair were on a visit in Los Angeles back in March.

While monumental at the time, there was still a long haul ahead before National Signing Day. Both Terry and Gibson decommitted from USC in June. While Terry ended up inking with Texas, UGA was able to land a signature from Gibson last month.

Georgia ended up signing the No. 3 class in the nation, per the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. USC still managed to sign a pair of five-star recruits and the No. 14 class overall.

This time around, USC will look to bring the coveted in-state recruit back home and flip Spafford. The Trojans do currently have the No. 2 class in 2026, thanks to eight commits, headlined by another Peach State recruit in Gainesville (Ga.) four-star linebacker Xavier Griffin, the No. 24 prospect in the cycle. Griffin’s former teammate, four-star offensive tackle Alex Payne, signed with USC last month.

Spafford, the No. 76 recruit and No. 13 WR in the On3 Industry Ranking, is one of four pledges in UGA’s 2026 class, as of Jan. 13.

“I’m definitely surprised I committed this early,” Spafford said. “The goal was to commit around June 20-23 next year, but things change. I always said, if it feels like home, then there’s always a possibility. Georgia felt like home. I’m definitely surprised that I felt this way and have committed this early, but I’m happy it’s happening.”