Lincoln Riley built the No. 1 recruiting class for the 2026 season. He also became the ruler of California, signing an overwhelming number of in-state recruits. He’s attacking the 2027 cycle with the same momentum, already having 3 local commits. However, an up-and-coming Bob Chesney at a far dimmer UCLA might be spoiling the party for the mighty Trojans when it comes to 4-star local QB Dane Weber.

The quarterback joined his high school teammate, and UCLA commit Michael Farinas, for the team’s “Max Week” workouts. Many top recruits attended the event. Weber took part in the workouts and impressed the coaches, showing his leadership skills and tough gameplay. He watched training and talked with the coaches, giving UCLA another chance to see how he would fit on their team. The Bruins have made him a priority since Chesney became head coach, and have become a serious contender for the QB.

“You can see there’s a different vibe and energy around UCLA right now,” he told Rivals of his visit. “The players are bought in and everyone’s committed in to building up UCLA and making them a great team.

UCLA shot up the ranks for him after Dane Weber visited them for their Junior Day. Chesney got into the race for him pretty late, extending an offer in January this year. But in this short time, the Bruins have emerged as one of his “top schools.” He’s also going to come back here in June for an official visit. That does not bode well for Lincoln Riley, who wants Weber on the Trojans roster.

USC will host the QB this Friday. It is a crucial visit because the program is yet to secure a quarterback commitment in their 2027 class, which has four commits so far. USC has yet to extend an offer to Weber, which is why the Trojans are not in his Top 8. But if Lincoln Riley and Co. knock it out of the park in this visit, they can hope to feature on his favorites list. Weber told On3 that he has been in contact with Luke Huard since he attended the QB’s showcase at the Centennial-Chaparral Camp.

USC’s trend of developing quarterbacks should be an attractive factor for Weber. Players like Sam Darnold and Caleb Williams are now playing well in the NFL, and returning QB Jayden Maiava emerged as one of the best passers in the 2025 season. Weber’s production allows him to continue this tradition, should he sign with USC. In 2024, he completed 67% of his passes for 2,660 yards with 27 touchdowns and just three interceptions. His team finished 7-4 this season, but his stat line put him on the map.

However, UCLA isn’t the only competitor for Lincoln Riley. Dane Weber is leaning towards staying home, having already picked the Bruins and the Golden Bears among his favorites. While the Trojans have the potential to outshine the other two, can they put up a fight against an Ivy League?

Dane Weber is also keeping Stanford in the mix

Last week, Weber visited Stanford. He met head coach Tavita Pritchard and general manager Andrew Luck, and instantly hit it off with them. Stanford is a struggling program, and Pritchard has only just begun his tenure as head coach – his first one too. Yet, the room for development impressed Weber.

“Having coach Luck and coach Pritchard there, how many coaches are there that have coached QBs in the past? There is definitely a huge development factor there, and the program is turning in the right direction, and they want to get back to where they were when Coach Luck was there.” The Andrew Luck factor made an impact on the QB, whom he watched play for the Colts as a kid.

Stanford has longed for a quarterback like Luck to bring some long-awaited success to a beleaguered team. The Cardinal is yet to find a steady solution at quarterback, which is where Dane Weber could bring some change. He told Rivals Pritchard and Co. plan to roll him out early, and “help turn the program around.”

The Cardinal has rarely been successful in landing big-name targets, and will still have to fight extremely hard to get Dane Weber. With teams like Oregon and USC in the mix, it looks bleak for Stanford. But they’ve already established momentum with Weber, with the faces of the program making the pitch for him. Stanford can really be the dark horse that can steal Weber away from UCLA and USC’s clutches.