Head coach Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans are approaching the end of their 2026 spring practice, entering the final week of spring ball. Riley and his staff are also actively hosting top high school prospects to strengthen their future recruiting classes.
Five-Star Defensive Lineman Cory Cunningham Impressed by USC Visit
Five-star defensive lineman Cory Cunningham made his first trip to California on Friday, stopping by USC.
“A lot of people, a lot of traffic,” Cunningham said of his visit to USC. “But overall, I still love it because it’s how I dreamed it’s gonna be with the palm trees and stuff like that. Pretty nice guy. Honestly, just really cool to talk to. We talk back and forth about how things will be.”
Cunningham is ranked as the No. 29 overall prospect, No. 4 defensive lineman, and No. 2 player in North Carolina, according to 247Sports. Meanwhile, Rivals lists him as the No. 4 defensive lineman in the 2028 class, the No. 36 overall prospect nationally, and the No. 2 recruit in North Carolina. His offer sheet is loaded, featuring programs such as Ohio State, Indiana, South Carolina, Miami, Oregon, Georgia, NC State, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and Missouri, among others.
As a member of the 2028 class, Cunningham’s recruitment is still in the early stages, and he has yet to establish clear leaders. However, On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine currently gives South Carolina the highest chance at 41.7%, followed by NC State at 12.6% and Georgia at 10.8%.
Cunningham is savoring the recruiting process and is in no hurry to trim his list.
“It’s a blessing to be God gifted with such talent and in only my second year playing organized football that I get so much notoriety to my name,” Cunningham said. “I like telling my story because it shows how much you got to be into it. You got to really love the game in order to grow.”
Cunningham just finished a sophomore season with 60 tackles, 15 sacks, and 26 quarterback hurries. As he heads into his junior season, his potential is only expected to grow.
“He’s a heck of a player,” Providence High football coach Wes Ward said of Cunningham last year, via the Charlotte Observer. “And the colleges know it. He’s a hard worker. He puts in a ton of effort and is always interested in learning.”
If USC hopes to land a top-tier prospect like Cunningham, Riley and his staff will need to keep the momentum going with more visits. Cunningham would be a major addition to the Trojans’ defense, which ranked No. 61 nationally last season with a 76.3 score in the PFSN College Football Defense Impact Metric.
USC already has a 2028 commit in four-star wide receiver Roye Oliver III.
