Jeff Borzello
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Jeff Borzello
ESPN Staff Writer
- Basketball recruiting insider.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Graduate of University of Delaware.
Paul Biancardi
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Basketball Recruiting
- National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com
- 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level
- Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State
Multiple Authors
Top-five senior Christian Collins announced his commitment to USC on Wednesday, giving the Trojans their third McDonald’s All American in the 2026 class.
Collins chose the Trojans over a final three that also included Kentucky and Louisville. His recruitment was one that featured plenty of momentum shifts, with USC perceived to be the leader in the fall before Kentucky overtook the Trojans and looked certain to land his commitment during the early signing period. Illinois and Vanderbilt then offered Collins in December, but USC was able to regain momentum and land the Los Angeles native.
“I want to go where I can help a team win and at USC, I feel I will have a major role,” Collins told ESPN. “It is important for me to be prepared; I feel I will be prepared for the NBA because of my role.
“Also, I felt they have a family atmosphere. I live close to campus. I was looking at where I could be challenged and develop. I watched [their] practices, and they were intense and I learned a lot. Coach Muss [Eric Musselman] and staff will challenge me. Coach Muss is a good coach, he is aggressive with player development and he is down to earth off the court.”
Collins’ recruitment timeline centered around finishing his high school season before committing; his St. John Bosco (California) team fell to Damien in the regional final last week.
“My high school basketball season was important to me,” said Collins, who expects to be one-and-done in college. “We had a good year. I wanted to focus on that before I made my commitment. Then I knew I would focus on my recruiting.”
A 6-foot-8 forward, Collins is the No. 5 player in the SC Next 100. He averaged 12.0 points and 9.7 rebounds on the Nike EYBL circuit with Team WhyNot (California) last spring and summer.
Collins is one of the best athletes in the senior class, displaying explosiveness to play above the rim, agility in tight spaces, mobility to switch on defense and a burst of speed in the open court. On the offensive end, he is a true mismatch because of his triple-threat ability – shoot, drive or pass – outside the 3-point line. He contributes on the glass with a quick second jump, and when converting from defense to offense, he has the tools to quickly advance the ball in transition when the floor is open. Collins has shown a high energy level early in his career and has maintained it as a senior. He has a 7-1 wingspan and covers ground to guard multiple defenders.
Collins now joins 7-foot twins Adonis Ratliff (No. 15 in the SC Next 100) and Darius Ratliff (No. 29) in one of the nation’s elite recruiting classes. All three are McDonald’s All Americans and should immediately transform USC’s frontcourt into one of the best in the country next season.
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