USC Trojans are already looking like they could take advantage of Penn State’s decision to fire James Franklin
USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley can really take advantage of Penn State and their decision to fire head coach James Franklin, by getting Kemon Spell.
The USC Trojans are riding some momentum after beating the Michigan Wolverines, as they head into their game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. However, they could use some of that momentum in recruiting, like they did all offseason long. And, it wouldn’t hurt to take advantage of the Penn State, James Franklin situation.
Penn State fired its head coach, James Franklin, after starting the season 3-3 with losses to UCLA and Northwestern. Penn State is a school that has strived to be a National Championship contender every single year, but under Franklin, they could never win the big game. Now, their elite 2026 and 2027 recruiting classes are seeing players decommit, which means other schools can take advantage of that.
Penn State had the 16th-ranked 2026 class and the No. 1 2027 class. Now, they don’t have anyone in their 2027 class, and their biggest get, five-star RB Kemon Spell, is gone, and the Trojans can take advantage of that.
USC Trojans can go after 2027 RB Kemon Spell
USC has the No. 1 2026 class in the country, according to On3. They have an abundance of four-star guys, packaged with two really good five-star players. Their 2027 class, while it’s still extremely early, doesn’t have a single committed player. That’s not a bad thing at all, because it’s not even 2026 yet, so there is still plenty of time.
However, why not go ahead and get the eighth-best player in the 2027 class? Spell is the No. 1 player at his position and the No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania. USC has two four-star RBs in its 2026 class, but adding a five-star like Spell would be huge for the future of the program. However, they are at a disadvantage.
Most of these schools on his new top eight are in the same region as where he is from, which is PA. The Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are all in that region, with schools like the Tennessee Volunteers and Georgia Bulldogs being somewhat close, when you factor in that the Miami Hurricanes, Florida State Seminoles, and USC Trojans are extremely far away. The Trojans are on the opposite side of the country. So, you can say they may have the biggest disadvantage.
But, if we know anything about Lincoln Riley and his recruiting since being at USC, or even when he was with the Oklahoma Sooners, it’s that he can get anyone, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
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