In the cutthroat world of college football recruiting, battles are won and lost. But USC isn’t just content with winning; they’re making sure Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks feel the sting publicly. After poaching a top cornerback from the Ducks, the USC Trojans took to social media to deliver a pointed and colorful rebuttal.

On the official X account of the USC Trojans, a 49-second clip was posted to mock Oregon head coach Dan Lanning’s famous words, “the grass is damn green in Eugene.” The clip showed a patch of green grass being sprayed with USC-esque red. Then, a statement popped up in yellow after the patch had been completely changed to the color red: “Guess the grass wasn’t greener.”

Oregon had been dominating the Trojans in recruitment for years, even in their backyard. However, the Trojans have begun to rebuild and are showing positive signs under Lincoln Riley. In 2026, they had 35 commits and emerged as the nation’s top recruiting class. And they are not far behind in the 2027 class, ranking No. 9, four spots ahead of the Ducks, who sit at 13th.

Also in 2026, USC flipped four-star quarterback Jonas Williams and defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui from the Ducks. Without a doubt, power is changing hands, and each recruiting year only adds more evidence to that fact.

And now, the Trojans have just snatched Danny Lang, the No. 53 overall player in the class, according to 247 Sports. Lang is a 5-foot-11, 160-pounder from Mater Dei High School. As a four-star talent, he is ranked as the No. 7 cornerback in the 2027 recruiting class. As a junior, he tallied 31 tackles, one tackle for loss, one fumble recovery, and 10 passes defended.

Lang chose to commit to USC over the Auburn Tigers, the Alabama Crimson Tide, and the Arizona State Sun Devils. And after his commitment, Rivals now ranks the USC Trojans at No. 6 in the team ranking for the class of 2027. He becomes the Trojans’ sixth commit in the 2027 class and the fifth from California.

The USC Trojans are not done with their recruiting just yet. After recruiting five-star Honor Fa’alave Johnson earlier this month, their target is now four-star offensive tackle Drew Fielder, who is committed to Oregon at the moment. His continuous visits to USC this spring mean his options are still open, and the Trojans may rob the Ducks once more.

The USC vs Ducks rivalry

The pair have played 65 games, with USC leading 38-24-2. However, things have changed in recent times, with Oregon winning eight out of its last ten meetings. 

Despite USC’s recent recruiting success, the Oregon Ducks have been the better side on the pitch, with more success to show for it. The Ducks have been victorious in their last four outings, with USC last getting a win in 2016. Their most recent outing saw the Ducks defeat USC 42-27 at Autzen Stadium four months ago. To date, the Trojans have yet to appear in the College Football Playoff.

The two programs were formerly rivals in the Pac-12 Conference and have continued their rivalry in the Big Ten Conference. When they meet next at the LA Memorial Coliseum on September 26, USC will be hoping to end its 10-year wait for a win over the Ducks.