When he turned up at the Rivals Camp stop in LA wearing a USC beanie, it felt like potentially a foregone conclusion that Vlad Dyakonov would end up calling Los Angeles his next home.
The four-star offensive tackle prospect from Folsom made it official Wednesday by announcing his commitment to the Trojans a few days after his latest visit to campus.
The 6-foot-7, 275-pound recruit has made multiple trips to USC this offseason amid a hectic travel schedule that has taken him around the country to see the top contenders in his recruitment.
A recent swing through the midwest allowed him to see Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State in addition to a trip to Ole Miss, which has been a big player in his recruitment, but Saturday's visit to USC sealed the decision for Dyakonov to become the 22nd commitment in the 2026 class for Lincoln Riley's program.
The junior tackle is now the 14th four-star commitment for the Trojans and the 14th in-state pledge in the cycle. USC has been on a roll in recent months reflecting the changes made by Riley to his recruiting and personnel staff highlighted by the addition of general manager Chad Bowden.
The Trojans have added 14 commitments now since Bowden was announced in late January. USC has added 11 commitments in the last month including five in the first week of April.
Three of those four are four-star recruits including four-star running back Deshonne Redeaux and four-star defensive tackle Tomuhini Topui, who backed off a commitment to Oregon in favor of the Trojans.
Dyakonov is the fourth OL commitment for Zach Hanson in the cycle, and his connection with the new USC offensive line coach played a role in the appeal of the Trojans for the four-star prospect. What Hanson can help him become at the next level also was a factor.
"Love Coach Hanson's teachings and I love how he's going to run things," Dyakonov previously told TrojanSports.com. "... The development of the O-line [is a big thing]. They get guys to the league."
USC prioritized Dyakonov for quite some time and Hanson had an in-home visit with Dyakonov in January before he trekked down to Los Angeles for a junior day trip with the Trojans. UCLA had also been a top contender, but instead he will play at USC and build on what has remained the top-ranked recruiting class in the cycle.
