Elite OT Keenyi Pepe commits to USC Trojans

Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe has committed to USC.

He chose the Trojans over the likes of Miami, Florida and Georgia.

Pepe is the No. 44 overall prospect and No. 5 OT in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 5 player in Florida.

The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder visited Los Angeles last weekend and is now another major addition to a USC class that’s chock-full of elite talent. Pepe is originally from Southern California.

“They’ve literally been calling me every day,” Pepe told On3’s Chad Simmons about USC in March. “They’ve called me every day for the last week. I’ve been talking with them.”

“Coach Riley has the program going in the right direction and I like him and the staff. It is a school I am high on because of the coaches and the people there,” he added.

The addition of Pepe vaults USC back up to No. 1 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. The Trojans are back in front of LSU and now have seven top-100 prospects committed this cycle.

USC continues to crush on the 2026 recruiting trail

The USC class, which now features 25 commits, is loaded on both sides of the trenches. Five defensive linemen and six offensive linemen are already in the fold.

Richardson (Texas) four-star DL Jaimeon Winfield is a top-100 recruit, while Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star DL Tomuhini Topui is inside the top 150. Chicago Mount Carmel four-star DL Braeden Jones is just outside the top 150 but is the No. 4 player in Illinois.

Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon four-star IOL Esun Tafa headlines the top commits on the interior alongside Pepe, while Folsom (Calif.) three-star OT Vlad Dyakonov and Denver Valor Christian three-star IOL Kannon Smith are among the other new additions to the class.

Twelve top-200 prospects are in USC’s class to date, including: Gainesville (Ga.) four-star linebacker Xavier Griffin, Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) four-star cornerback RJ Sermons, Los Angeles Loyola four-star CB Brandon Lockhart, Santa Margarita Catholic (Calif.) four-star EDGE Simote Katoanga, Frankfort Heights (Ill.) Lincoln-Way East four-star quarterback Jonas Williams and Painesville (Ohio) Harvey four-star running back Shahn Alston.