USC, Two Big Ten Foes Among Finalists for 5-Star Recruit Austin Attalah
The USC Trojans are one of the eight finalists for class of 2028 recruit, offensive tackle Austin Attalah.
Austin Attalah Reveals Top Eight Schools
Austin Attalah is a 6-8, 270 pound offensive tackle out of San Bernardino, California. He is rated as a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 3 offensive tackle in the 2028 class.
Attalah went to social media to reveal the eight teams he has narrowed down his recruitment to.
USC Trojans
California Golden Bears
Penn State Nittany Lions
Texas Longhorns
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Ohio State Buckeyes
Alabama Crimson Tide
Texas A&M Aggies
"Blessed to be in the position I'm in. I'm forever grateful for all the coaches interested in me," Attalah posted on his X account. "I have narrowed it down to 8 schools!!"
Blessed to be in the position I'm in I'm forever grateful for all the coaches interested in me. I have narrowed it down to 8 schools!!@CalFootball@PennStateFball@TexasRecruiting@TexasTechFB@OhioStateFB@AlabamaFTBL@uscfb@AggieFootball@adamgorney@GregBigginspic.twitter.com/aXellOmSPO
- Austin Attalah (@AustinAttalah) June 4, 2026
There are a couple Big Ten teams that the Trojans will have to fend off if they want to eventually land Attalah: Penn State and Ohio State. When it comes to those schools, the Trojans will try to use their close proximity to Attalah to their advantage.
There is reason for optimism for USC fans. The Trojans have been recruiting at an elite level ever since they landed the top class in 2026.
USC Trojans' Recent Recruiting Success
After a few down years in recruiting by USC's standards, Trojans coach Lincoln Riley has brought the No. 1 ranked 2026 recruiting class in the country to Los Angeles. This 2026 class consists of 35 total commits and 22 blue chip recruits (four or five star recruits). Finishing with a better class ranking than schools like Georgia, Ohio State, Texas, and Oregon is a huge step in the right direction for USC.
The 2027 class is also off to a solid start, as Rivals has it ranked as the No. 8 class in the country with 13 total commits, with nine coming from blue chips. It is the second highest ranked class in the Big Ten to this point, trailing only Ohio State.
On the field however, there is work to do for the Trojans. While the recruiting trend is a good one, fans will not be satisfied if the team doesn't win games. Simple as that. USC is still seeking their first ever appearance in the College Football Playoff since the format was implemented in 2014.
Looking around the rest of the Big Ten, teams like Oregon, Ohio State, Washington, Penn State Indiana, Michigan, and Michigan State have all made at least one appearance in the playoff. USC is one of the most historic programs in all of college football, but has not consistently been a contender for nearly two decades.
Riley was hired in 2022 to bring USC back to contending for conference titles and national titles. He has an overall record of 35-18 with USC. USC's 2026 season will kick off on Aug. 29 at home against the San Jose State Spartans.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as USC, Two Big Ten Foes Among Finalists for 5-Star Recruit Austin Attalah.
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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 5:00 PM.