Lincoln Riley, USC Trojans Lose Another Elite California WR to Ohio State
Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans have been on quite the recruiting run this year, holding the No. 1-ranked class in the 2026 cycle. However, when it comes to the top players in the state of California, Riley is having a tough time keeping them in the state.
On Sunday, 4-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt announced his commitment to the Ohio State Buckeyes, choosing them over both the Trojans and the Oregon Ducks. Dixon-Wyatt is rated as the No. 59 player in the nation, and the No. 6 WR in the 2026 class.
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Earlier this year, Dixon-Wyatt's teammate at Mater Dei, 5-star WR Chris Henry Jr., also shut down his recruitment and gave his verbal commitment to Ohio State. Henry is the No. 2 ranked player in the sate of California, while Dixon-Wyatt is the No. 10 ranked player in the state.
It's not hard to see why any receiver would choose to go to Ohio State, seeing as they've developed some of the top wide reicevers in the nation over the years. With Brian Hartline on the staff, the Buckeyes have had receivers like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Terry McLaurin, Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jeremiah Smith, among others, come through the program as of late.
The Buckeyes already had the No. 6 rated recruiting class before the addition of Dixon-Wyatt, but they moved up to No. 3 in the nation, just behind USC and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Ohio State is also in the running to land 5-star OT Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 player in the nation, who will announce his commitment on May 13. However, the feeling is as if Oregon and the Georgia Bulldogs are currently the teams to beat in that recruitment.
Related: 5-Star QB Jared Curtis Cancels Visit Days Before Major Oregon-Georgia Decision
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