USC lands third McDonald’s All American for 2026 in Collins

Top-five senior Christian Collins introduced his dedication to USC on Wednesday, giving the Trojans their third McDonald’s All American in the 2026 class.

Collins selected the Trojans over a ultimate three that additionally included Kentucky and Louisville. His recruitment was one which featured loads of momentum shifts, with USC perceived to be the chief in the autumn earlier than Kentucky overtook the Trojans and regarded sure to land his dedication through the early signing interval. Illinois and Vanderbilt then supplied Collins in December, however USC was in a position 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 advised 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’ve a household environment. I stay near campus. I used to be taking a look at the place I might be challenged and develop. I watched [their] practices, they usually had been intense and I discovered so much. Coach Muss [Eric Musselman] and workers will problem me. Coach Muss is an efficient coach, he’s aggressive with participant improvement and he’s right down to earth off the courtroom.”

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 highschool basketball season was necessary to me,” said Collins, who expects to be one-and-done in college. “We had an excellent 12 months. I wished to concentrate on that earlier than I made my dedication. Then I knew I’d concentrate 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 many nation’s elite recruiting courses. All three are McDonald’s All Americans and may instantly rework USC’s frontcourt into among the best in the nation subsequent season.