The USC Trojans are making a push to land a commitment from another Big Ten rival’s 2026 recruit. Head coach Lincoln Riley and his staff are already targeting four-star Oregon quarterback commit Jonas Williams, but they have their eyes on another Ducks pledge.
According to Brandon Huffman of 247Sports, USC is actively pursuing Tristan Phillips, a standout from nearby Ventura High School. Phillips has a connection to USC through his high school teammate, offensive lineman Tobias Raymond.
The four-star edge rusher shared that several USC coaches have reached out to him, including one who excited his father. “Coach BAW (Bryson Allen-Williams) offered me and he and Tobias sent me a video,” Phillips told Huffman. “Then coach Rob Ryan FaceTimed me, and my dad was really hyped and excited because he’s a Raiders fan.”
Tristan Phillips, a powerful 6-foot-3, 215-pound edge rusher, committed to Oregon in December, choosing the Ducks over several top programs like Notre Dame, Auburn, Texas, Washington, and even USC.
However, the Trojans haven’t stopped pursuing him. USC sent multiple coaches to Phillips’ school, Ventura High, including Coach Bryson Allen-Williams, Coach D’Anton Lynn, and Coach Rob Ryan before the end of the dead period.
Phillips shared that Coach Lynn discussed how he plans to utilize linebackers in his defense. Despite the continued attention from USC, Phillips emphasized that he’s still firmly committed to Oregon.
The linebacker can’t sign his official letter of intent until the early signing period in December, but USC remains intent on keeping him on their radar.
The Trojans are already shaping their future defensive roster for the 2026 class, with four-star Braeden Jones from Chicago and Andrew Williams from Los Angeles’ John C. Fremont High already verbally committed.
