Lincoln Riley’s USC was left out of the 12-team College Football Playoff in the 2025 season. However, the 2026 Trojans seem talented enough to make a legitimate postseason push, even as off-field rumors continue to stir conversation around the program.
Lincoln Riley on Alert As Former USC Star Slams Stealing in His Trojans Locker
USC football experienced an interesting situation just a few hours ago, as former Trojans wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane called out a recruit for allegedly stealing from his USC locker.
“This kid stole my cleats and a bunch of stuff from the sc locker room. All yall kids out there just know this is simply unacceptable,” Lane tweeted.
The recruit in question is Brawley Tuitopou, a member of the 2027 class. He is rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports, with some programs projecting him at wide receiver and others at safety. He has experience at those positions, as well as tight end and other spots in the secondary.
Tuitopou has received offers from several programs, including Florida, Ole Miss, Duke, Kansas, Maryland, Cincinnati, Iowa, SMU, NC State, West Virginia, Missouri, Houston, Michigan State, Kentucky, and Purdue. He also competes in basketball and track.
Tuitopou hasn’t yet revealed a clear frontrunner in his recruitment, but he is clearly interested in Riley’s USC. He even visited the Trojans on Nov. 7 for their 38-17 win over Northwestern. However, the allegations from Lane may disrupt any momentum he had with USC. Beyond his status with the Trojans, this accusation can negatively impact Tuitopou’s career trajectory, but we are expecting to hear Tuitopou’s side of the story as well.
Meanwhile, Lane has already declared for the 2026 NFL Draft and is one wide receiver to watch for this draft, as he proved to college football fans what he’s capable of. He had 43 receptions for over 500 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns in 2024.
Before the 2025 season, some analysts even projected Lane as a first-round pick after he finished the 2024 season by earning Las Vegas Bowl MVP honors with seven receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Texas A&M. While a first-round selection this year may be unlikely, his talent may land him on an NFL roster in the third round.
Teams like the Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, and New England Patriots are considered his potential fits.
Despite a slow start in 2025 due to a late-September injury, Lane still recorded 49 receptions for 745 yards against a challenging Big Ten schedule. He was part of a USC offense that ended the 2025 season ranked No. 4 in the PFSN’s CFB Offense Impact Metric with a 90.4 score.
