Back in March, USC picked up its first commitment of the 2028 recruiting cycle, landing four-star wide receiver Roye Oliver III. Over the weekend, however, it was reported that Oliver will no longer be a part of the Trojans’ 2028 class—but not for a reason that will upset USC fans.
Per Brandon Huffman of Rivals, Oliver will be reclassifying to the 2027 cycle. He now becomes the latest member of USC’s 2027 recruiting class—which 247Sports currently has ranked as the No. 3 class in the country.
Oliver comes to USC from Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona. As a sophomore in 2025, he recorded 92 receptions for 1,839 yards and 31 touchdowns, earning high school All-American honors.
Prior to reclassifying, Rivals’s industry ranking had him as the No. 29 overall player in the class of 2028. After his reclassification, however, Oliver naturally fell a bit, as he is now being ranked against older, stronger competition. Rivals’s industry ranking now has him as a three-star recruit, the No. 425 overall player, and the No. 60 wide receiver in the 2027 class.
Oliver continues a trend of USC commits reclassifying up a cycle under head coach Lincoln Riley and general manager Chad Bowden. This will mark the third consecutive cycle of the Trojans taking at least one player who reclassified. In an era where it is more common for players to be held back a year in order to be bigger and stronger than their classmates, it will be interesting to see if USC’s strategy ultimately pays off or not.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC wide receiver commit Roye Oliver III reclassifying to 2027 cycle
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
