At the start of November, something big happened in the world of college football recruiting. Georgia scored a major early commitment from Vance Spafford, a four-star wide receiver from Tustin, California’s Mission Viejo.
Spafford, one of the top 100 prospects, needed just one visit to Georgia’s campus in Athens to decide it was the perfect fit for him. He committed before his junior season even wrapped up. Just a month earlier, he had announced his top eight schools before deciding on Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs.
But now, USC is trying to get in on the action. On Monday, Spafford shared that the in-state Trojans have made him an offer.
Spafford has been pretty open about his recruiting journey. He mentioned that the schools at the top of his list were the ones "showing the most love" and making him a priority. Georgia did an excellent job with their pitch and got the 5-foot-10, 175-pounder to commit.
“Like they say, when you know, you know,” Spafford told On3. “I felt it right after we left Georgia’s facility. I wanted to take my time and not just act on emotion. After three weeks, my feelings stayed the same, and I was ready to make the move.”
USC, although a bit late to the game, is hoping to make a quick impact. With Lincoln Riley and his team just 30 miles away from Mission Viejo, they have a good shot at catching up.
Georgia and USC Coming Off Big Battles for Top Prospects in 2025
The 2025 recruiting cycle was a rollercoaster for many programs, especially for USC.
The Trojans unexpectedly snagged commitments from Justus Terry, a Five-Star Plus+ defensive lineman from Manchester, Georgia, and Isaiah Gibson, a five-star EDGE from Warner Robins, Georgia, during their visit to Los Angeles back in March.
While those commitments were huge at the time, the road to National Signing Day was bumpy. Both Terry and Gibson decommitted from USC in June. Terry signed with Texas, while UGA managed to secure Gibson last month.
Georgia ended up with the No. 3 class in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. USC still put together a strong group, signing two five-star recruits and landing the No. 14 class overall.
Now, USC hopes to bring the talented in-state recruit back home and flip Spafford. The Trojans currently boast the No. 2 class in 2026, thanks to eight commits, including another Georgia standout, Xavier Griffin, a four-star linebacker from Gainesville, who is ranked as the No. 24 prospect in the cycle. Griffin’s former teammate, four-star offensive tackle Alex Payne, also signed with USC last month.
Spafford, ranked as the No. 76 recruit and the No. 13 WR in the On3 Industry Ranking, is one of four commits in UGA’s 2026 class as of January 13.
“I’m definitely surprised I committed this early,” Spafford said. “The plan was to commit around June 20-23 next year, but things change. If it feels like home, there’s always a possibility. Georgia felt like home. I’m surprised I felt this way and committed this early, but I’m happy it’s happening.”
With all these moves and surprises, the recruiting scene is heating up. Who knows what will happen next?
