Alijah Arenas Headlines Three USC Trojans Filed as Early NBA Draft Candidates
There are three USC Trojans players that have been filed as early entry candidates for the 2026 NBA Draft out of 71 total players, the league announced on Monday, April 27. The three Trojans named were guard Alijah Arenas, forward Jacob Cofie, and center Gabe Dynes.
The 2026 NBA Draft will begin on Tuesday, June 23 and conclude on Wednesday, June 24. The players who have applied for this early entry will still be eligible to return to college basketball if they withdraw their name by Wednesday, May 27. The 2026 NBA Combine is set to take place in Chicago from May 10-17.
Alijah Arenas, Guard
The 6-6, 199 pound Alijah Arenas signed with USC as a five-star recruit in their high school recruiting class of 2025. Arenas had a very turbulent freshman season.
In April of 2025, Arenas had a scare. He was involved in a car crash that resulted in him being in a coma due to smoke inhalation. Luckily for Arenas, he was able to make a full recovery and made his return to the court to prepare for the season.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that 71 players have filed as early entry candidates for NBA Draft 2026, which will be held Tuesday, June 23 (First Round) and Wednesday June 24 (Second Round) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. pic.twitter.com/GfV338yqsz
- NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 27, 2026
Just a few months later in July, Arenas suffered a torn meniscus that required surgery. This forced him to miss USC's first 18 games of the season. He made his USC debut on Jan. 21.
In 14 games with the Trojans, Arenas averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He showed flashes of why he was thought of so highly as a recruit. Whether it is taking the next step to the NBA or coming back to USC, a fully healthy offseason for Arenas is crucial.
Jacob Cofie, Forward
Jacob Cofie is a 6-10, 231 pound forward that just wrapped up his second season in college and first with USC. Cofie averaged 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game with the Trojans in 2025-26. He played 32 games.
Gabe Dynes, Center
Gabe Dynes is a 7-5, 214 pound center that transferred to USC after playing his freshman and sophomore seasons with Youngstown State Penguins from 2023-2025. With the Trojans in 2025-26, Dynes averaged 2.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game. Dynes played in 30 games.
He is most well known for his defense. In both of his seasons at Youngstown State, he was named to the Horizon League All-Defense team.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as Alijah Arenas Headlines Three USC Trojans Filed as Early NBA Draft Candidates.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 2:43 PM.