"Made me feel like a top priority": Elite cornerback prospect gives a positive signal to Lincoln Riley following USC Trojans visit

Top cornerback prospect Elbert Hill was part of the studded group of prospects that visited Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans over the weekend. On Monday, Hill posted a review of his time at the program on X, along with a picture posing with Riley.

“Had an amazing time this weekend at USC definitely made me feel like a top priority,” he wrote.

A product of Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, Ohio, Hill’s weekend visit was a return sojourn to the program following an earlier visit. He noted his impression of the program and its coaching staff in an interview with On3.

“My latest visit was great, and the thing that keeps exciting me is the coaching staff. They’re really pushing hard for me,” Hill said.

Hill is a priority for Lincoln Riley’s USC. The cornerback prospect is the On3 Industry Rankings' No. 27 overall prospect and No. 4 cornerback. He’s a strategic recruit as well, being the top-ranked prospect out of Ohio.

Lincoln Riley and his defensive coordinator visited Hill twice in January. Subsequently, he went to USC on his first visit along with his family, getting a good impression of the campus. He is scheduled for an official visit in June. However, he has visits to other programs scheduled for the summer. He will visit Alabama, Oregon and LSU, while Ohio State remains keenly interested.

The Trojans’ recruiting footprint has extended into the Midwest following their switch to the Big Ten. Three of their commitments in this class are from that part. They are four-star quarterback Jonas Williams, four-star defensive lineman Braeden Jones and four-star running back Shahn Alston.

USC has four defensive back commitments in its 2026 recruiting class, with four-star cornerback RJ Sermons, Brandon Lockhart, Madden Riordan and Joshua Holland.

Lincoln Riley’s USC pushing hard on the recruitment trail

The visiting prospects at USC over the weekend were some of the most coveted nationally. Names like Kody Greene, Jett Washington, Jalayne Miller and Jake Johnson stand out.

Greene, an Oregon commit, was impressed by Lincoln Riley and his staff. However, he maintained that flipping him would be difficult, although he did not rule out the possibility.

“It’s not going to be easy to flip me," Greene said. "Both USC and Texas have said that I am a high priority and will do whatever it takes to flip me. I am interested in both of them, but I need to learn more about the O-line styles, strength and conditioning approach to developing linemen, and the alumni network.”

USC currently has the No. 2 class in this cycle, according to On3.