The Hotline is delighted to provide college football fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Seattle-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on March 27 …
Look who’s No. 1
For all the grief USC has received on the recruiting front in recent years — often, it was well deserved — the Trojans aren’t messing around with the class of 2026.
On the heels of hiring general manager Chad Bowden away from Notre Dame, they are on top of 247Sports’ team recruiting rankings, well ahead of No. 2 Clemson.
USC has a nation-leading 16 commitments so far in the class, and the total could continue to grow in the next two weeks (more on that later).
Ten of the 16 are in the current Top 247 for the ’26 class, and eight are in the top 10 at their positions.
With spring practices underway, several more elite recruits are visiting campus — a chance for coach Lincoln Riley to build on his momentum.
One key to the success: Riley realizing he didn’t need to recruit nationally and should focus on the West Coast.
Ten of the 16 pledges come from the Golden State, and an 11th is from Utah.
Worries in Eugene?
Eh, not really.
But Oregon isn’t used to having its top prospects de-commit. The Ducks typically are on the other side — the ones orchestrating the flips from other schools.
It started with four-star quarterback Jonas Williams switching from Oregon to USC in February.
Earlier this month, offensive tackle Bott Mulitalo, a top 100 recruit and the No. 3 prospect in Utah, de-committed from the Ducks.
And this week, defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui, another top 100 recruit and top 15 defensive lineman, de-committed from Oregon. The Trojans look like the team to beat for him.
Put another way: USC is finally punching back at Oregon, at least on the recruiting road.
Now, the Ducks have to respond.
Luck runs out for Taylor
Once the epitome of stability during David Shaw’s 12-year run as head coach, Stanford has experienced a rollercoaster last couple of years.
It started when Shaw resigned minutes after the season finale in 2022 and continued the following summer, when the Pac-12 imploded and the Cardinal was forced to join the ACC (a geographic nightmare).
In between, the school hired former Cal quarterback Troy Taylor, plucking him away from a successful run as the head coach at Sacramento State.
But outside memorable wins over Colorado in his debut season and on the road at Syracuse last year, Taylor was on the wrong end of consecutive losses to Cal and back-to-back 3-9 seasons.
The Cardinal hired Andrew Luck in late November as their general manager, giving him authority over the football program and a direct reporting line to university president Jonathan Levin.
After reports of an investigation into Taylor’s behavior surfaced last week, Luck fired Taylor. (Athletic director Bernard Muir stepped down last month, and no interim has been named.)
From a recruiting standpoint, Taylor’s dismissal shouldn’t have much impact. The head coach isn’t the issue when it comes to recruiting at Stanford these days. The problem is the school’s reticence to accept transfers at large scale and lack of desire to play the NIL game.
A new coach could align with Luck, get the university on the same page and modernize recruiting.
While the status of many of the 2025 signees is uncertain, the Cardinal already suffered a big blow when their top defensive signing, four-star linebacker Nusi Taumoepeau, announced that he had been granted his release on the heels of Taylor’s firing.
The Cardinal have three commitments in the 2026 class: Two in-state recruits in linebacker Chase Cahoon, who goes to school less than 10 miles from campus, and receiver Langdon Horace, who is from Stockton.
They also flipped Wassie Lugolobi from hometown Washington earlier this month.
A big draw for both Cahoon and Lugolobi was co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Andy Thompson, who succeeded Taylor as head coach at Sacramento State, then rejoined Taylor at Stanford this winter.
Depending on what Stanford does — it could hire a permanent replacement or name an acting coach for the 2025 season — it’s unlikely Thompson will depart before the fall.
But Stanford is a rare school where even assistant coaches leaving doesn’t usually have a gigantic impact on recruiting.
Prospects are drawn to football and the Stanford education. The academic trump card could keep the class, albeit a small one, intact.
For now.
Top RB back on the clock
In a week, the region’s best running back will come off the board.
Deshonne Redeaux, a top 100 player nationally and the No. 13 recruit in California, will announce his decision on CBS Sports HQ on Saturday, April 5.
Redeaux, who’s from Westlake Village in the San Fernando Valley, is focused on six teams: Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.
But much of the buzz is centered around USC. With the Trojans’ newfound emphasis on Southern California, Redeaux could be another feather in the cap for 2026.
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