USC general manager Chad Bowden is certainly not taking a conventional approach to building a roster. According to the latest reports, Bowden and the Trojans are reportedly not allowing players who are committed to USC to visit other schools. On Wednesday, USC suffered its first major loss from its top-ranked 2026 class due to this policy, with the Trojans parting ways with five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin.
Griffin had been committed to USC since last summer. This is particularly notable in that he committed before the arrival of Chad Bowden into the program—meaning that he was not a “Chad Bowden guy”, so to speak. In addition, the Trojans underwent a change at linebackers coach since last summer, replacing Matt Entz—who left to become the head coach at Fresno State—with longtime NFL defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.
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According to On3 Consensus, Griffin is the No. 28 overall player and the No. 2 linebacker in the class of 2026. After decommitting from the Trojans, the Gainseville, Georgia native quickly locked in official visits to Texas and Florida State.
Bowden’s strategy of not allowing players who are committed to USC to visit other schools is a risky one. On one hand, it seemingly reduces the risk of commits being poached by other programs. On the other hand, it increases the odds of a situation like Griffin’s arising, where a player decommits due to a desire to visit other schools. Only time will tell if the decision pays off or not.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin decommits from USC football
