It didn't take long for Rivals100 recruit Jonas Williams to go from surprise USC visitor to future USC quarterback. The former Oregon commit has flipped his decision in favor of the Trojans following a recent junior day visit to Los Angeles back on Feb. 1.
Williams was not originally expected to be part of the large group of visitors on campus that day, but the Trojans rolled out the red carpet for the No. 7-ranked signal caller in the 2026 class when he did arrive.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound quarterback recruit from Frankfort, Illinois spent the day around the coaches and experienced life at USC, which included watching the basketball team upset Michigan State. Williams was able to meet Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson and get a full sense for everything the program and area has to offer.
It was enough to change the course of his recruitment after he gave the Ducks an early commitment in August.
Williams now becomes the second highest-rated commitment for the Trojans alongside cornerback Brandon Lockhart, who is ranked 40th in the 2026 class.
When you flip on the film of Williams, you see shades of several different quarterbacks who have worked under USC head coach Lincoln Riley and the elusive runner with an accurate arm certainly feels like an ideal fit for what the Trojans want to accomplish at the position on offense.
Williams played his first two seasons at Bolingbrook High School where he passed for 5,933 yards in his first two seasons. As a junior at Lincoln-Way East, the new USC commit threw for 42 touchdowns and 2,926 yards.
USC was one of the programs that made it clear to Williams during the January recruiting period that he was a wanted man while he also holds offers from schools such as Ohio State, Tennessee, Michigan, Ole Miss, Alabama, Oklahoma and Washington among others.
USC has been pursuing fellow 2026 quarterback Ryder Lyons, and the Trojans have become one of the favorites to land the Folsom High School five-star, but his intention has been to serve an LDS mission out of high school meaning to start of his potential career and Williams' future one at USC won't begin at the same time.
It remains to be seen what impact Williams' decision will have on Lyons, though he recently told Rivals national director Adam Gorney that a program not taking a 2026 quarterback could have an influence on his final decision.
The move to add Williams in the 2026 class also pulls a key member of the Oregon class away from USC's West Coast Big Ten foe.
The Trojans now have 10 commitments already in the 2026 class with Williams now being the third pledge from the Midwest and the second alongside four-star defensive end Braeden Jones, who plays at Mt. Carmel in Chicago.
