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USC 2026 4-star OT commit Keenyi Pepe buys mom new car with NIL dollars

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•07/10/25•

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Keenyi Pepe 1 copy 1
Keenyi Pepe (Photo by Chad Simmons/On3)

A key piece of USC’s 2026 recruiting class, Keenyi Pepe committed to the Trojans in May. The highly rated offensive tackle is part of an impressive group, which ranks as the top class in the country.

Now, he’s taking care of his family. Pepe bought his mom a new car using his NIL dollars, he shared on social media – a Cadillac Escalade.

It was an “early birthday” present for his mother, Pepe said. He shared a photo of the new car on his Instagram story, as well as the big red bow on the hood.

Keenyi Pepe is USC’s fourth-highest rated commitment as the 2026 cycle continues to roll along. A four-star prospect, the Long Beach native and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy product is the No. 51 overall player from the class, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He also has a $516,000 On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks No. 21 in the high school football NIL rankings.

“They’ve literally been calling me every day,” Pepe told Rivals’ Chad Simmons about USC amid his recruitment. “They’ve called me every day for the last week. I’ve been talking with them.”

USC cementing itself in NIL landscape

USC is in the midst of an impressive run through the 2026 cycle, bringing in the No. 1-ranked recruiting class, headlined by five-star tight end Mark Bowman. Throughout the recruiting process, the Trojans have showcased their power on the NIL front, and Lincoln Riley evaluated the state of the school’s infrastructure while speaking with Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong.

“I think (NIL) it’s like all the other parts of our program,” Riley said. “It didn’t start off in a good place and it’s just progressively gotten better and better every single year. There are some inherent advantages here with the amount of great supporters we have here, all the different businesses housed in Southern California and the Los Angeles area. You start talking, looking forward to things like fair market value and there is no other place that has what this place has and those advantages are starting to show more and more. As good as they are now, they’re going to be even better this time next year, and the year after next year they’re going to be even better than that.

“I would chalk it up to the momentum and support and belief in what we’re doing and taking advantage of being in a place that’s unlike any other.”