The USC Trojans secured five-star athlete Honor Fa'alave Johnson, leaving the Miami Hurricanes among several prominent programs empty-handed. Johnson favored playing closer to home.
The Miami Hurricanes were among the finalists in five-star athlete Honor Fa’alave Johnson’s recruitment. The USC Trojans, Texas Longhorns, LSU Tigers, Oregon Ducks, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish were the other programs in the running.
He currently attends Cathedral Catholic High School, a private coeducational college preparatory institution that’s located in San Diego, California. Johnson has played multiple positions on both sides of the field. The high school junior received interest and offers from other programs, including the Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida State Seminoles, Auburn Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Ole Miss Rebels, among several others.
However, Johnson could only commit to one and announced his decision on CBS Sports College Football on Saturday. The California native chose to stay close to home and committed to the Trojans, approximately 125 miles north of San Diego.
“It was a hard decision,” he said. “My mom always wanted me to stay as close as I can. I’ll be taking my talents to the University of Southern California.”
Johnson joins a program that moved from the Pac-12 to the Big 10 in 2024, finished with back-to-back single-digit wins since the transfer, and has yet to reach the College Football Playoffs. However, securing a five-star talent could change the Trojans’ trajectory.
The Hurricanes fell short in the five-star athlete’s recruitment, along with five other finalists. There aren’t any reports of Johnson ever making an official or unofficial visit to the Coral Gables campus. It was mentioned on the CBS broadcast that the California native prefers to play running back, a role that is far from available with the Hurricanes after retaining all key players at the position: homegrown star Mark Fletcher Jr., CharMar Brown, Girard Pringle Jr., and Jordan Lyle.
Despite losing 22 players due to the transfer portal, the Trojans retained key starters, including running backs King Miller and Waymond Jordan. They were the team’s rushing yard leaders last season. As the program didn’t add any running backs through the transfer portal, Johnson has the opportunity to play his preferred position. He rushed 231 times for 2,388 yards, scoring 36 touchdowns in high school.
Coming off a National Championship appearance, the Hurricanes have gained significant attention from high school recruits. The program will continue to host official and unofficial visits to further construct the recruiting class of 2027, which includes a couple of elite four-star wide receivers in Nick Lennear and Ah’Mari Stevens.
The future of the Hurricanes can still shine brighter.
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