USC’s offense has a new look this fall, and Jayden Maiava is already leaning into the possibilities.
With Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane off to prepare for their rookie seasons in the NFL, the Trojans quarterback is working with a younger receiver group and said Wednesday that the early returns have been encouraging. After practice, Maiava praised how quickly the newcomers are handling the offense.
"Entire group is doing such a phenomenal job adjusting to the playbook, given how young they are. You wouldn’t really tell how young they are with how they’re doing so well with the playbook.
Just kind of everything that they’ve been doing. Super special group, I’m excited to see it on Saturdays," Maiava said Wednesday.
That optimism matters because USC has real openings in its receiver room. Ethan "Boobie" Feaster, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Trent Mosley, and Tron Baker are all freshmen who could leave a mark in 2026, and the Trojans are giving that group a chance to show what it can do during fall camp.
There’s also opportunity created by Tanook Hines’ limited start to camp. Hines emerged last season as the third receiver behind Lemon and Lane, and he’s expected to open this year as one of USC’s top options alongside NC State transfer Terrell Anderson. But with Hines sidelined early, Maiava has had more time to build timing with the younger pass-catchers around him.
That includes returning receivers Corey Simms and Zacharyus Williams, who now have a chance to push for the third spot in the rotation. Dixon-Wyatt, Mosley, and Baker all enrolled early, so they’ve already spent months around the program, in the weight room and in the meeting room. After a full spring, USC won’t be asking them to learn everything on the fly.
The Trojans aren’t likely to depend heavily on most of the freshmen from their top-ranked 2026 recruiting class, but some of them could still force their way onto the field. Five-star tight end Mark Bowman is one of the most anticipated newcomers, and he’s expected to be a productive part of the offense right away.
Even with all the turnover at receiver, USC still has pieces in place to keep the offense moving. The entire offensive line is back, and running backs Waymond Jordan and King Miller return as well. That should give Lincoln Riley a balanced attack, but the Trojans know how valuable a third receiving threat can be after seeing what Hines brought to the offense in 2025.
For now, the focus is on camp and on the early depth chart. Who starts in the non-conference games will matter, but so will the order behind them. That rotation could tell the real story of how quickly USC’s young receivers are ready to take on bigger roles.
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USC Freshman Buzz Is Building Around A Key Passing Game Role
Freshman wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is starting to draw real attention in USCs passing-game conversation as the Trojans look toward the upcoming season. The buzz around him is tied to how he fits into an offense that already has established options in Terrell Anderson and Tanook Hines, with Dixon-Wyatt viewed as a potential third target who could help round out the receiving mix.
For USC, the intrigue is less about a formal depth chart spot than what Dixon-Wyatt can add if his skills translate quickly at the college level. The projection is still just that, a projection, but it reflects how much confidence there is growing around his ability to carve out a meaningful role in the Trojans aerial attack before long. [Read more 🡒]
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The passing game had its uneven stretches, but receiver Ethan Feaster turned in one of the more encouraging performances of the afternoon and added to the sense that some younger players are starting to surface. After practice, Jayden Maiava, Alex VanSumeren and Jide Abasiri met with the media, giving the latest window into a camp that is beginning to reveal who is making real progress and who still has work to do. [Read more 🡒]
USC Veterans Are Already Saying The Same Thing About Luke Wafle
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For USC, that kind of chorus matters because Wafle is not arriving as a long-term project. He is expected to push for a starting role right away as the Trojans get ready for the upcoming season, and the early praise suggests the transition could be smoother than it usually is for a first-year defender. Even before his first college snap, he is already drawing the sort of attention that usually comes only after a player starts making people believe. [Read more 🡒]