Lincoln Riley's USC receives commitment of four-star OT to the Class of 2026

Four-star offensive tackle Vlad Dyakonov committed to USC's 2025 class on Wednesday. The Folsom High School (California) standout chose Lincoln Riley's Trojans over schools like Arizona State, California, Utah, Minnesota and Sacramento State.

Offensive line coach Zach Hanson led Dyakonov’s recruitment, including an in-home visit back in January. The Trojans had momentum heading into the decision, with two 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions favoring them and On3 giving them a 99.5% chance of landing the commitment.

"Love Coach Hanson's teachings and I love how he's going to run things," Dyakonov previously told Rivals. "The development of the O-line [is a big thing]."

Dyakonov checked out Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan and also made a stop at Ole Miss. However, the Saturday visit to Riley's program ultimately solidified his choice.

"I like Coach Hanson and Coach (Trovon) Reed a lot and I like their plan of getting guys to the NFL," Dyakonov told On3.

Dyakonov is the No. 37 offensive tackle in the 2026 class and the No. 31 recruit in California, according to Rivals. He brings versatility with experience at both tackle and guard, and is expected to play multiple positions on the offensive line.

USC's 2026 class update following Vlad Dyakonov's commitment

Vlad Dyakonov has become USC's 14th four-star commitment and 14th recruit from California for the 2026 recruiting class. With his addition, the Trojans now have 22 total commitments in the cycle, placing them second nationally. The program has been on a recruiting hot streak, landing 11 commitments in the past month, including five in the first week of April.

Dyakonov continues the strong pipeline Lincoln Riley has built with Folsom High School, which also produced four-star tight end Walker Lyons (2023) and three-star tight end Nela Tupou (2025). He marks the second true offensive tackle to commit to the Trojans' 2026 class and also the fourth offensive line recruit in the class, joining three-star John Fifita, four-star Esun Tafa and three-star Chase Deniz.

The offensive line remains a key focus of USC's recruiting strategy, with targets like offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe, interior lineman Samuelu Utu and Oregon commit Kodi Greene still in play.