Elbert Hill sheds light on first meeting with USC HC Lincoln Riley 

After a tough 2024 season at USC, Lincoln Riley is already on the road working hard in recruiting. One player who was impressed with Riley was 2026 CB recruit Elbert Hill. Hill's interest in USC should be apparent based on his traveling from Ohio to California for a visit to campus for the Trojans.

Hill's positive experiences on his trip, highlighted in his post on X/Twitter, could be a good sign for Riley and USC.

Lincoln Riley and USC on the recruiting trail

Riley is on the hot seat at USC, with just a 26-14 mark in three seasons with the Trojans. 2024 yielded a 7-6 mark and has probably landed Riley on the coaching hot seat. But Riley did put the finishing touches on a superb 2025 recruiting class that 247sports ranked as the 13th best in the nation.

Riley's star signees included five-star QB Husan Longstreet. The Trojan recruiting class in general included nine four-star or better prospects. That group has the potential to keep Riley gainfully employed, but he has already moved on to 2026.

Meanwhile, Elbert Hill is a 2026 prospect from Archbishop Hoban High in Akron, Ohio. An impressive cornerback prospect, Hill is ranked as a four-star recruit by 247sports. That ranks him as the No. 96 prospect in the nation, as well as the 11th-best cornerback and the third-best player in talent-rich Ohio.

Hill has received offers from a laundry list of the sport's top programs, including local Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Michigan and Alabama. Hill has taken prior unofficial visits to Alabama and Tennessee. Getting him across the country to USC suggests seriousness on Riley's part in adding him to an already growing 2026 USC class.

USC's class of 2026

USC already has eight commitments for its 2026 recruiting class, which 247sports currently ranks as the fourth-best class in the nation. The biggest name yet is Georgia athlete Xavier Griffin. Currently ranked as the top linebacker in the 2026 class, Griffin chose USC over a who's who of recruiting suitors. He's currently the No. 8 player in the nation in his recruiting class.

Interestingly, USC already has commitments from a pair of other top-100 national cornerbacks. In-state prospects RJ Sermons (247's 52nd-best player in the nation and No. 4 CB) and Brandon Lockhart (81st-best player, No. 8 CB prospect) are both already committed to the Trojans.

USC also has commitments from another pair of four-star top 150 national recruits in pass rusher Braeden Jones from Chicago and running back Shahn Alston from Ohio. Adding Hill to this talent-rich group can only help Riley's situation at USC.

What do you think of Riley's recruiting efforts at USC? Share your take on the Trojans in the comments section below.