Longhorns making 'serious' push to flip USC 5-star Fa'alave-Johnson

TL;DR

Texas is making a serious effort to flip five-star safety Honor Fa'alave-Johnson from USC. The 2027 recruit, who has committed to USC, has drawn attention from Texas coaches, including Will Muschamp.

Key points

Honor Fa'alave-Johnson is a five-star safety and top recruit.
He is currently committed to USC but Texas is trying to flip him.
Texas coaches, including Will Muschamp, have visited him recently.

Mentioned in this story

USCTexasWill Muschamp

Honor Fa'alave-Johnson

Honor Fa'alave-Johnson is the top recruits in the nation and highest ranked recruit in California. The safety committed to USC in February. But according to a report from Rivals, Texas is "seriously" trying to flip the five-star. Fa'alave-Johnson is considered the cornerstone of the Trojans 2027 recruiting class. The 6-foot, 175-pound San Diego native committed to Southern Cal over Oregon, Texas, Miami, LSU and Notre Dame during a live announcement on CBS Sports HQ. A good running back, in addition to being one of the best safeties in the country, Fa'alave-Johnson is expected to play on both sides of the ball for USC coach Lincoln Riley. This fall, the junior at Cathedral Catholic had 40 tackles and three interceptions. He also rushed for 1,530 yards and 30 offensive touchdowns.

NEW: Texas is making a serious push to flip USC 5-star ATH commit Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, @adamgorney reports👀

“They just said they’re not going to stop recruiting me and there’s a long time before the signing period.”

Intel: pic.twitter.com/gQ7PXCGvmS

— Rivals (@Rivals) May 8, 2026 According to Rivals recruiting analyst Adam Gorney, two Texas coaches visited the five-star this week, including Will Muschamp. Another UT coach is scheduled to visit Fa'alave-Johnson next week. Texas is taking its shot in trying to flip five-star USC commit Honor Fa'alave-Johnson.

Two coaches including Will Muschamp saw him this week. Another one is coming soon.pic.twitter.com/sMewgTpMmk

— Adam Gorney (@adamgorney) May 8, 2026 It would be one of the biggest recruiting coups in Texas history, certainly in the Steve Sarkisian era, if Texas was to pry the DB away from Southern Cal, whose defensive coordinator is former TCU coach and Texas analyst Gary Patterson. The Will Muschamp factor could be a big player in this developing story. *This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: *

Q&A

What are the chances of Honor Fa'alave-Johnson flipping from USC to Texas?

Texas is actively recruiting Honor Fa'alave-Johnson, and with visits from coaches, the chances of a flip could increase as the signing period approaches.

Who is Honor Fa'alave-Johnson and why is he a top recruit?

Honor Fa'alave-Johnson is a five-star safety from California, recognized for his dual-threat capability as both a defensive player and running back, making him a cornerstone of USC's 2027 recruiting class.

What impact would Fa'alave-Johnson's commitment have on Texas football?

Flipping Fa'alave-Johnson would be a significant recruiting victory for Texas, potentially marking one of the biggest coups in the program's history under coach Steve Sarkisian.