USC basketball coach Eric Musselman continues to stockpile star power with his latest high school recruiting class.
His newest McDonald’s All-American, power forward Christian Collins, brings intriguing upside along with a genetic health condition that will make him a rarity in college basketball.
Collins, who told multiple recruiting services Wednesday that he had verbally committed to the Trojans, has cystic fibrosis, a condition that can cause lung infections, persistent coughing and shortness of breath.
The 6-foot-9 Collins told ESPN’s Malika Andrews that he had a mild case of the condition, which can be managed with an inhaler and medication.
Misinformation about the condition is widespread. Collins’ mother, Angel Fennel, told the Los Angeles Sentinel in 2019 that her son’s classmates made insensitive comments about his mortality, leading him to ask her if he was going to die.
There is no cure for the condition, but doctors have said in recent years they are confident they could be on the verge of finding a breakthrough in treatment.
Collins, who stars for St. John Bosco High in Bellflower, picked USC over Kentucky and Louisville, his other finalists.
He joins a 2026 recruiting class that also includes identical twin 7-footers Darius and Adonis Ratliff. USC’s three-player class is now ranked No. 6 nationally by 247Sports.com.
Collins’ presence on a major college roster will undoubtedly increase awareness of cystic fibrosis and make him an immediate fan favorite among those rooting for him to show that there’s no limitations for people battling the condition.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
