Havon Finney, a four-star cornerback, surprised everyone when he decided to reclassify from the 2027 class to the 2026 class. The California native boasts two dozen scholarship offers and has teams from all corners vying after him. As he is on his way to schedule spring visits, schools like LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia, Texas, and Oregon got into the mix. But come on, not everyone can get a piece of the cherry on the cake. Who has the edge to land the player?
The Trojans have been a consistent suitor of the five-star cornerback since June 2023. Lincoln Riley’s program currently boasts of the no. 1 recruiting class for the 2026 batch. Imagine adding Finney to the mix. Former USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and former cornerback coach Donfte Williams have played an instrumental role in building the bridge between Finney and the Trojans. However, as they eventually moved on with other programs, the momentum came to a halt. After an initial gap, the program made sure that they kept pursuing the homegrown product a little harder than before and hosted him on the school’s Junior Day earlier this month (February 8th) and re-offered him right after.
But, wait, no room to relax for the Trojans recruiting staff. Lincoln Riley will have to beat all the competitors to heat up their chances further and stay in the forefront. Oregon has been heavily pursuing Finney for a long time, with his scholarship from the Ducks coming back in June 2023. He has already visited Eugene several times and is one of the top targets for Rashad Wadood and the Ducks at cornerback. Michigan and Ohio State have their fair share of odds in the five-star CB’s recruitment.
As per Michigan insider Ethan McDowell, ”He trains with former Wolverines and grew up a big fan of Charles Woodson,” and he is up for a visit to Ann Arbor next month. Sherrone Moore and his staff extended an offer to him for the 2027 class on February 18th. Ryan Day’s Ohio State also joined the list a few days back, as Finney announced on his X handle that he received an offer tagging secondary coach Tim Walton.
But with all that said and done, the first love hits differently above all the options. If we deem the equation between Finney and USC a fairytale love story, the Trojans will be that honeybee in the group that he can’t ever ignore.
USC Trojans stand out as the first love of Havon Finney
Havon Finney has talent, frame, and a rare kind of athleticism that didn’t go unnoticed by the world, taking him to an unprecedented high in the recruitment game. Oh, to back his skill up, the California native bagged big numbers. This rousing superstar dominated as a sophomore in 2024. He racked up 37 total tackles (29 solo), four interceptions, and 16 passes defended. Even as a freshman, he embodied his instincts with 27 tackles and one interception.
But when it comes to choosing the school, a lot of options make the game a little tricky for the 16-year-old. But guess what? While considering and weighing up all the offers on his table, USC marked a special territory in his heart, a reserved, exclusive zone based upon some crazy childhood flashback.
“That’s the school that I first ever fell in love with,” Finney told 247Sports about USC. “I grew up watching USC. That’s always been my favorite school growing up, so it meant a lot to me. I’ve been a fan for a long time. I used to watch Adoree Jackson and Robert Woods.”
“I mostly talked with coach Belk and Lincoln Riley at Junior Day. They wanted to get me to come out and be around the coaches more. They wanted me to build relationships and get to know more people there. Trovon Reed is really cool, too. I really like him,” Finney said after his recent Junior Day visit to the school. So, it’s clear that Riley and the Trojans are moving in the right direction. Sealing a commitment is a different thing, though, but they are hitting on the right place, so far at least.
The post Sherrone Moore, Ryan Day, & Dan Lanning on High Alert as 4-Star Havon Finney’s Recruitment Sees New Twist After Big Announcement appeared first on EssentiallySports.
