Whenever there's a camera present or an opportunity to represent his future school, you can usually find 2026 cornerback Brandon Lockhart flashing USC's "Fight On" sign. The Loyola star has been committed to the Trojans for over 18 months, and in that time he has watched the class around him blossom into the top group in the country.

Lincoln Riley's program continues to sit atop the Rivals team recruiting rankings, and the Trojans' 27 commitments are currently 10 more than any other FBS school.

It has been a good spring for USC, and Lockhart has watched it all unfold while continuing to build his relationship with the staff and fellow members of his class.

The Trojans have three commitments from recruits inside the top 50 and two of them are cornerbacks. For months the top dog on that list was Lockhart, but every cornerback needs a running mate and USC hauled in a big pledge when five-star Ohio native Elbert Hill pulled the trigger on a commitment last week.

Beating out in-state Ohio State for a top recruit, in addition to Big Ten foe Oregon which had also been making a strong push, is significant for the Trojans.

The commitment from Hill grabbed Lockhart's attention for a number of reasons. When speaking with TrojanSports.com over the weekend after participating in the Under Armour Next Camp at Mission Viejo High School, Lockhart said Hill's commitment was the most surprising of the spring additions for USC.

"Elbert Hill was one of the guys where we didn't expect him to [commit], but the more and more that we kept reaching out and the more and more we kept trying to get on him and now he just committed last week," Lockhart said.

As one of the first commits in the class, Lockhart has gravitated towards a leadership role for the group that is made up of several Southern California recruits. It is a something Lockhart takes pride in, and it is something he values as one of the key members of the class.