Lincoln Riley continues to work on righting the ship at USC, landing the Trojans another major football recruit for the class of 2026. After a brief deliberation period, USC received a commitment from four-star edge rusher Simote Katoanga, On3 Sports reported.
Katoanga, a consensus top-100 recruit, is the sixth-best defensive lineman of the class, according to 247 Sports. He became the third-highest-rated recruit of Riley’s growing 2026 class, behind Xavier Griffin and RJ Sermons. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound phenom just wrapped up his junior season at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, roughly an hour away from USC’s campus in Los Angeles.
Katoanga committed to the Trojans over countless other Power Five offers. He took visits to Notre Dame and Clemson before deciding to remain home and commit to USC. He also received Big 10 offers from Michigan State, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.
The commitment was Riley’s latest move in a clear effort to improve the Trojans’ defense over the offseason. Shortly after the end of 2o24, Riley added longtime renowned NFL assistant Rob Ryan to his defensive staff. He also had a noticeable defensive focus in the 2025 college football transfer portal, where USC received several notable commitments.
