When Ohio State heads to Southern California this weekend, the Buckeyes will run into two players who could just as easily have been wearing Scarlet and Gray.
USC’s roster includes wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and defensive lineman Luke Wafle, a pair of former elite recruiting targets who ended up choosing the Trojans instead. One had already committed to Ohio State. The other came close before the decision shifted west.
Dixon-Wyatt, a Mater Dei product, was ranked as the No. 6 wide receiver and No. 54 player nationally in the 2026 class. He committed to Ohio State in May of last year, looking like a natural fit alongside five-star Chris Henry Jr. in Columbus and under wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, who had been producing first-round NFL Draft picks at a remarkable rate.
Everything changed on National Signing Day, when Hartline’s move to the head coaching job at USF became public. Ohio State still held onto Henry Jr. and another top-100 prospect, Jerquaden Guilford, but Dixon-Wyatt flipped to the Trojans and stayed in state.
That choice has paid off quickly for USC. As a freshman, Dixon-Wyatt leads the Trojans with 443 receiving yards on 32 catches and four touchdowns. He also appears to be getting far more work than he would have seen in year one at Ohio State.
His biggest outing came in USC’s loss to Oregon, when he caught seven passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. The Trojans are 6-2 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten play, and while Dixon-Wyatt has done his part, those two losses were not laid at his feet. USC’s passing game has been one of the nation’s best, while the defense has remained the shaky side of Lincoln Riley’s operation.
Wafle has been just as important on the other side of the ball. He leads USC in tackles for loss and sacks, a frustrating reality for Ohio State given how much its own defensive front has struggled to create pressure this season.
A New Jersey native, Wafle was one of the top prospects in the country in the 2026 class, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 EDGE and No. 7 player nationally.
For much of his recruitment, Ohio State was considered the favorite. But USC reportedly raised its NIL offer late, and the Buckeyes did not match it, leaving Wafle to land with the Trojans.
The numbers tell the story. Wafle’s 7.5 tackles for loss are 3.5 more than anyone on Ohio State’s roster. His three sacks are tied with Kenyatta Jackson for the Buckeyes’ team lead, and no other Ohio State defensive lineman has more than one sack through seven games.
That kind of production would have fit neatly into Matt Patricia’s defense, especially with the drop-off after Jackson and Qua Russaw. Instead, Wafle is USC’s problem for Ohio State to solve.
The Buckeyes are 4-0 in Big Ten play and still have a path to the conference title game, while USC sits in the middle of the league race with a head coach on the hot seat. But this matchup gives both former recruiting near-misses a chance to matter in a big way.
Ohio State has not found a true WR2 behind Jeremiah Smith this season, even though Devin McCuin and Chris Henry Jr. have shown promise. That opens the door for Dixon-Wyatt to keep making plays against the program he once pledged to join.
The Buckeyes’ passing defense has also been uneven, and that becomes a bigger issue if Jay Timmons is unable to play Saturday. Dixon-Wyatt should have every chance to test that secondary.
On the other side, Wafle looks like the sort of edge player Ohio State could use right now. The Buckeyes’ pass rush has been described as anemic, and USC may lean on him heavily, especially with Austin Siereveld’s status still not fully clear and the offensive line’s overall play still inconsistent.
It adds up to a game with plenty on the line. USC needs the win to keep its season from drifting further, and Ohio State is trying to figure out whether it can still be treated like a national title contender with a backup quarterback.
If the Buckeyes leave the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with a victory, they’ll have to earn it against two players who once looked destined to be part of their future.
In Other News...
Luke Fahey Is Forcing Ohio State Fans To Rethink The Hype
Luke Fahey arrived in Columbus with the kind of recruiting profile that usually invites patience, not immediate expectations. The Mission Viejo, Calif., quarterback was ranked lower than some of the bigger-name passers in his class and did not fit the prototype in terms of measurables, but he still drew offers from top programs before committing to Ohio State in 2025. His performance against a highly ranked opponent only sharpened the conversation around him, especially as he has moved into position to be the Buckeyes likely starting quarterback.
For Ohio State fans, the intrigue is less about the ranking labels than the way Fahey has continued to push past them. Ryan Day has praised his work ethic and competitiveness, two traits that tend to matter a lot more once the pads are on and the depth chart gets real. Even with the hype around more decorated prospects, Fahey has forced a rethink of what his ceiling might be, and the Buckeyes are left watching to see how far that edge can carry him. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Heads To USC With One Huge Offensive Problem
Ohio State heads into Week 9 at USC with its offense carrying more uncertainty than it has all season, and it starts with Julian Sayins injury leaving the quarterback situation unsettled. The Buckeyes are weighing different ways to attack the Trojans depending on who takes the first snap, while there is at least one stabilizing piece on the front line with Austin Siereveld back in the mix to give the offensive line a more settled look.
The ripple effects could be felt everywhere else in the huddle, especially in the backfield, where Ja'Kobi Jacksons absence opens the door for a different rotation. Bo Jackson, Legend Bey and Isaiah West are all expected to share carries, which means Ohio State may need to lean on depth and flexibility as it tries to piece together an offense that can keep pace in a road game against a ranked opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Minnesota Gets A Huge Big Ten Test With Plenty On The Line
Halloween weekend brings a loaded Big Ten slate, and Ohio States meeting with USC stands out as one of the games with the most immediate coaching implications. Lincoln Riley enters under a bright spotlight after recent losses have turned up the heat around his tenure, while Ryan Days Buckeyes are dealing with a different kind of uncertainty after the absence of star quarterback Julian Sayin left the offense in a less settled place than usual.
For Ohio State, the matchup is about more than another conference win. It is a chance to steady the narrative around a team still trying to sort out its quarterback situation while facing a USC program that badly needs a response. In a week packed with Big Ten intrigue, this one has enough pressure on both sidelines to feel bigger than a midseason test. [Read more 🡒]