After USC football suffered a subpar season (8-5, 5-4) for their standards, there wasn't much to immediately look forward to for the Trojan faithful. It felt like an especially precarious time for Lincoln Riley and company due to superstar quarterback Caleb Williams to leaving for the NFL Draft.
However, the Trojans have wasted no time reloading their team with talent on both sides of the ball. USC added to its elite 2025 recruiting class Saturday, landing four-star running back Harry Dalton III out of Dinwiddie, Virginia, via Hayes Fawcett of On3.
The program now has the fifth-ranked 2025 class in the nation, via 247 Sports. Will Dalton help the Trojans tread water in the newly-expanded Big Ten?
Harry Dalton adds another dimension to the USC offense
Dalton is a highly-touted prospect, as he's the third-ranked tailback in his class, via On3 Elite. The dynamic threat is a two-way player for Dinwiddie County, servicing them as both a run-first quarterback and defensive back.
As a junior, the two-time Region 4B Offensive Player of the Year registered 1,662 yards and 16 touchdowns through the air, to go with 1,295 yards and 27 scores on the ground. He also finished with 25 tackles, two pass deflections and an interception.
While Dalton may not throw passes or play defense for the Trojans, his positional versatility bodes well for his potential at the next level. It requires elite athleticism to produce on the field in three different ways, and the 5'11, 205-pound back has it in spades.
New USC running backs coach Anthony Jones Jr. heavily recruited Dalton after he got hired in March, via Erick McKinney of On3.
“Running back was an important position for the Trojans in this 2025 class as USC is lacking numbers there,” said McKinney. “Jones has just four scholarship running backs on the roster this spring and USC will lose veteran transfer Woody Marks after the year. Previously, Jones landed a commitment from three-star back Riley Wormley in the 2025 class.”
With the Trojans rushing for 133.9 yards a game in 2023, it's clear that Riley places an emphasis on the running game. The program couldn't afford to have a barren tailback room after the 2024 season, which is why Dalton's recruitment was so crucial.
Dalton joins a stacked 2025 roster that includes five-star quarterback Julian Lewis and five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry. With USC now one of 18 schools in the Big Ten, the program needed a steady pipeline of playmakers in order to stay competitive with the likes of Michigan, Ohio State and Oregon.
Dalton chose the Trojans over Alabama, UNC, Virginia Tech and Florida. The recruitment marked the third running back acquisition in the span of a week for USC, as the program had already landed Duane Morris and Riley Wormley, who are four-star and three-star prospects, respectively.
It's clear that Riley is playing the long game, doing everything in his power to make sure that USC football won't get lost in a sea of powerful programs. Time will tell if the high-level recruiting will translate into wins.
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