Chris Henry Jr. and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt react to Mater Dei teammate Tomuhini Topui's flip from Oregon

The much anticipated Tomuhini Topui’s flip from Oregon to USC became official on Tuesday. Topui had decommitted from the Ducks a week earlier during a visit to USC.

The move has attracted reactions from several quarters, including his Mater Dei teammates Chris Henry Jr. and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. Henry, commenting on the news posted by Hayes Fawcett on Instagram, wrote:

“Already knowing.”

Chris Henry Jr.'s reaction to Tomuhini Topui's USC commitment

Dixon-Wyatt wrote:

“Know datt.”

Kayden Dixon-Wyatt's reaction to Topui's USC commitment

Topui became the second Oregon commit to be flipped by USC in this cycle, after four-star quarterback Jonas Williams had made a similar switch earlier. The blue chip in-state talent's shift to USC became pronounced when he sported a USC jacket during his visit to the Trojans last week.

Even before his flip, he had confessed his deep attraction to the Trojans. He admitted in an interview from early March:

“Growing up, being from L.A. that’s always been my dream school and stuff, especiallynow with Coach (Shaun) Nua, he’s always been talking to me. It’s down the street, so I might as well just take a couple visits there, see what they’re talking about. Every time I go down there it’s great vibes, picking up family vibes.”

---

What Tomuhini Topui’s commitment means for the USC Trojans?

Tomuhini Topui’s commitment to the Trojans marks a great step forward in the program's efforts to be the one-stop destination for top prospects in California. They hold five commitments from the state's top 21 prospects, per On3.

The Trojans’ top coaching staff and General Manager Chad Bowden have set their sights on reversing the trend of California’s best going to out-of-state programs. Getting Tomuhini Topui, the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 154 overall prospect and No. 15 defensive lineman, puts the Trojans at an advantage in California’s talent pool.

He became the program’s 18th commit in this cycle and joins a group of in-state prospects that include four-star cornerbacks RJ Sermons and Brandon Lockhart. With its recent recruiting maneuvers, USC is trending towards a Big Ten rivalry with the Oregon Ducks.

Dan Lanning, speaking to the press after practice on Tuesday and reacting to Topui’s flip, said:

“What’s great about football is every single day is a different challenge, right? And you don’t know what it’s going to be when you get out of bed, right, when you come up here. What we can do to control it is our organization.”

Tomuhini Topui helped Mater Dei to an undefeated season in 2024, with 42 total tackles, 6.5 sacks and an interception.