USC beat Alabama, Ohio State and Oregon to the commitment of five-star cornerback Elbert Hill, who announced his pledge to Trojans' star-studded 2026 class on Friday.
Hill, No. 15 in the ESPN 300, is the nation's second-ranked defensive back prospect in the 2026 cycle. A 5-foot-11, 180-pound defender from Akron, Ohio, Hill lands with USC after five-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe (No. 17 overall) announced his commitment to the Trojans on Thursday.
Hill's pledge arrives days after his most recent visit to USC for the program's "Trojan Olympics" spring recruiting event, and he now joins top-100 defensive backs R.J. Sermons (No. 28 overall) and Brandon Lockhart (No. 79) in a loaded secondary class set to join the program in 2026.
"They really treated me and my family well," Hill recently told ESPN of USC. "They've made me feel like a top priority guy that they really want. It's just a great feeling being there."
With two five-star pledges in as many days, USC stands as the only program across the country with multiple five-star prospects committed in the 2026 cycle. The Trojans' count of 13 ESPN 300 pledges also leads the nation. Among that group, six play on defense in a potential incoming class led by Hill, Sermons, Lockhart, outside linebacker Xavier Griffin (No. 29 overall) and former Oregon defensive tackle pledge Tomuhini Topui (No. 79).
An instinctive defender from Ohio's Archbishop Hoban High School, Hill recorded four interceptions and three pass breakups during his junior season last fall. With technical ability and speed in space flashed in both high school and on the 7-on-7 circuit, Hill has been viewed as one of the top defensive prospects in the class since his freshman season.
Hill took visits to Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon and USC this spring. But Hill told ESPN that no program contacted him more frequently in recent months than the Trojans, who now hold his pledge shortly after Hill's second trip to see the program this past weekend.
Hill follows Sermons and Alabama pledge Jorden Edmonds (No. 38 overall) among the top committed cornerback prospects in the 2026 class. Five-star athlete Brandon Arrington, No. 14 in the ESPN 300, is expected to play cornerback at the next level and told ESPN that he will be taking an official visit to Penn State this weekend.