While USC football is still continuing to put together its top-ranked 2026 recruiting class, it is never too early to start thinking about 2027. It seems Lincoln Riley and Chad Bowden have been doing that. On Monday, the Trojans picked up a projection from Steve Wiltfong and Sam Spiegelman of Rivals to land four-star class of 2027 quarterback Peyton Houston.
Houston plays high school football in Cotton Valley, Louisiana. Per the On3 Industry rankings, he is the No. 78 overall player and the No. 8 quarterback in the class of 2027.
If USC is able to land Houston, it would mark the third consecutive recruiting cycle that the Trojans secured a QB ranked among the top 100 players in his class. USC signed five-star Husan Longstreet this past year, and currently hold a commitment from four-star Jonas Williams in the class of 2026.
It is easy to see why quarterbacks are lining up to play for Riley. Across his time at USC and Oklahoma, he has produced three Heisman Trophy-winning QBs, all of whom went on to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft. A fourth, Jalen Hurts, was the 2019 Heisman runner-up, and just led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl championship.
If all three quarterbacks stick with the Trojans, it could set up a potentially loaded QB competition down the line. For now, however, USC enters the 2025 season with Jayden Maiava as the expected starter, with Longstreet and Sam Huard also competing for the job.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football picks up projection to land Class of 2027 four-star QB Peyton Houston
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
