After Lincoln Riley & Co. lost many five-star recruits due to a series of commitments, the USC Trojans 2025 recruiting class is beginning to take shape. Thankfully, one of the biggest recruits in the 2025 class has committed to the Trojans, starting to make up for it.
Trench play is emphasized in USC’s 2025 recruiting class, as one of its themes. Even with the loss of Justus Terry and Isaiah Gibson, two five-star defensive lineman, 25% of the Trojans still play on the offensive or defensive line.
Terry and Gibson’s flipping has created gaps that Riley and his team are now trying to fill. USC may have added to its depth in the trenches with one of the biggest recruits in the entire 2025 class, even though their replacements haven’t yet arrived.
Elijah Vaikona, an offensive lineman for Santa Margarita Catholic, declared his commitment to the Trojans on Tuesday. The Californian commits to USC in 2025 as the first offensive tackle and second offensive lineman.
Among the most important players in his whole recruitment class is Vaikona. Vaikona is one of just eight 6-foot-8 offensive lineman prospects among the 100 offensive tackle recruits listed by On3.com. Vaikona weighs 370 pounds, making him one of the class’s largest players. Of those eight, just four weigh more over 300 pounds.
The UCLA Bruins and Washington Huskies were among the teams vying for the 6-foot-8 offensive lineman, thus USC had to contend with fierce opposition. His dedication to the Trojans remained intact even after his final trip to Washington on June 21. Riley and the Trojan coaching staff were successful in winning Riley’s pledge even though USC didn’t grant him a scholarship until June 13.
