USC Football Recruiting 2020: Top Recruits Landed, Class Predictions

The early signing period gets underway Wednesday, but USC's 2021 recruiting class already looks much better than its 2020 cycle. It's clear the Trojans are back on the map.

In 2020, USC ended up with the No. 64 class in the country per the 247Sports team rankings, much lower than the program had come to expect in recent years. The Trojans had just 12 signings, only two of whom were 4-star recruits. They already have 19 commits, including 12 4-stars, in their 2021 class.

Of course, until those players send in their national letters of intent (which some will do over the next three days), things can still change. But USC is sure to still land some talented recruits, which could boost it even further up the rankings from the No. 14 spot it currently sits in.

Here's a look at the top recruits USC has landed so far, followed by some predictions heading into the early signing period.

4-star QB Miller Moss (Bishop Alemany High School, Mission Hills, Calif.)

4-star LB Julien Simon (Lincoln High School, Tacoma, Wash.)

4-star WR Kyron Ware-Hudson (Mater Dei High School, Santa Ana, Calif.)

4-star TE Michael Trigg (Carrollwood Day School, Tampa, Fla.)

4-star LB Ma'a Gaoteote (Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas)

4-star CB Prophet Brown (Monterey Trail High School, Elk Grove, Calif.)

4-star DT Jay Toia (Grace Brethren High School, Simi Valley, Calif.)

4-star ATH Calen Bullock (John Muir High School, Pasadena, Calif.)

4-star ATH Anthony Beavers Jr. (Narbonne High School, Harbor City, Calif.)

4-star S Xamarion Gordon (Warren High School, Downey, Calif.)

4-star ATH Jaylin Smith (Bishop Alemany High School, Mission Hills, Calif.)

4-star RB Brandon Campbell (Katy High School, Katy, Texas)

A complete list of USC's 2021 class can be found at 247Sports.

Miller Moss, a 4-star recruit from Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, Calif., is the only quarterback currently in USC's 2021 class. But that wasn't always the case.

Jake Garcia, a 4-star quarterback from Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga., was committed to the Trojans for more than a year before opting to decommit on Dec. 3.

It's still possible Garcia ends up at USC, but it seems unlikely. The 247Sports Crystal Ball has Miami as the heavy favorite to land him, while several other schools—including Arkansas and Florida State—could be in the mix. Regardless, Trojans fans shouldn't count on him joining the program when he announces his decision on Wednesday.

That doesn't mean USC won't still add another quarterback, though. Jaxson Dart, a 4-star recruit from Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah, is set to make his college decision Wednesday, and the Trojans are among the three schools he's deciding between, along with Pac-12 rivals Arizona State and UCLA.

USC recently became the favorite to land Dart, per the 247Sports Crystal Ball, and while he's not ranked quite as high among pro-style quarterbacks in the composite rankings as Garcia (Dart is No. 9; Garcia is No. 5), he'd be a nice addition to the Trojans' class.

Expect Dart to join Moss as 2021 quarterbacks heading to USC, where they could battle for the starting job in the future.

Korey Foreman may not be announcing his college decision until Jan. 2, but there are going to be many eyes on him when he does. The defensive end from Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., is the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2021 class, per the 247Sports composite rankings.

And it's possible he will be heading to USC. While he was previously committed to Clemson (before decommitting on April 21), he's now choosing between five schools. In addition to the Trojans and Tigers, he's also considering Arizona State, Georgia and LSU.

According to The Athletic's Antonio Morales, USC feels "solid" about where it stands with Foreman. But will he end up choosing the Trojans?

"USC also has the advantage of being close to home," Morales wrote. "Entering the month, a source said the Trojans felt their chances were about 50-50, but they do face some challenges."

While Foreman has a tough decision to make, the prediction here is that he'll stay in state and head to USC. He could become a top player on the Trojans' defense quickly, and he would have a chance to help lead them to success over the next few years.

USC currently has the No. 2-ranked 2021 class among Pac-12 schools, behind only Oregon. But if the Trojans can land Foreman and some other top recruits, there's no reason why they couldn't end up at the top of the conference.

And as USC head coach Clay Helton recently noted, a lot can still happen.

"I think our staff has done an amazing job this recruiting cycle," he said, according to Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times. "Our class is not done yet, there's still some big fish out there that we still are working on, and as we say, believe nothing until the ink is dry. Assume nothing."

Whether or not the Trojans end up with the top class in the Pac-12, it's still been a noted improvement from the 2020 cycle, when they ranked last in the conference. They've added some 2021 recruits who are sure to become key members of their program for the future.

And they're not done yet. So, don't be surprised when USC ends up with the best class in the Pac-12 and ascend into the top 10 in the country by the end of the recruiting cycle.