Leonard Williams just landed a contract that puts his value in bold type.
The former USC standout and longtime NFL defensive tackle agreed with the Seattle Seahawks on a three-year, $90 million deal, a payday that makes him one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the league. For Seattle, it’s a clear sign that Williams remains a centerpiece.
That hasn’t changed since he arrived. If anything, Williams has only gotten more imposing with the Seahawks, even as he moved past 30. In his first full season with the team, he piled up 64 total tackles and 11 sacks - eye-popping production for an interior lineman and the kind that puts him squarely among the best at his position.
He followed that up this past season with another strong run, finishing with 7 sacks and 62 tackles. Williams kept wrecking plays in the backfield, shutting down the run and forcing quarterbacks to account for him snap after snap. The source also noted that he did exactly that in the Super Bowl against Drake Maye to help the Seahawks win in a resounding fashion.
Seattle’s commitment says plenty about how it views Williams. He’s locked in for the next few years, and the way he’s aging, the Seahawks clearly believe there’s still plenty left in the tank.
Williams will also be part of a group of Trojan alumni on the roster that includes Sam Darnold, Uchenna Nwosu, and Brandon Pili. Together, they’ll try to defend their title and chase another championship this year.
In Other News...
Kirk Herbstreit Just Called Out USC Fans Over A Growing Problem
USCs home opener offered the kind of stage the program usually wants to own: a ranked team, a chance to build early momentum and a fan base that has spent years talking about getting back into the title mix. But the turnout told a different story, with only about 51,000 in the stands for a game that should have carried plenty of appeal. That contrast did not go unnoticed, and ESPNs Kirk Herbstreit used his platform to point directly at the empty seats and the larger frustration they represent.
For a program trying to contend for the conference crown, optics matter almost as much as the result on the field. The sparse crowd also revived criticism of how the schools administration has handled the issue, adding another layer to a conversation USC would rather not be having this early in the season. What makes it sting is that the Trojans are still positioned as a national presence, but until the building feels that way, the gap between reputation and reality will keep getting wider. [Read more 🡒]
USC May Have Found The Defensive Tone-Setter It Needed
Jide Abasiri opened USCs 2026 season looking every bit like the kind of defender the Trojans have been searching for. Named a captain before the opener against San Jose State, he made his presence felt early and often, finishing with four tackles and two tackles for loss while helping set the tone for a unit that needed an edge.
Abasiris day included one stop that stood out in particular, as he helped shut down a scoring chance on fourth down. For USC, that kind of impact matters beyond the box score because it suggests the defense may have found a player willing to bring the urgency and physicality the Trojans want at the front of the unit. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Maiava Faces His First Real USC Test In Week 1
Jayden Maiava opened his USC tenure with a tidy first step in Week 0, looking comfortable in the Trojans offense while completing 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns against San Jose State. The numbers were encouraging, but the matchup with Fresno State brings a different kind of early-season check, one that will ask more of USCs quarterback in a game expected to carry plenty of points and pace.
Fresno State is turning to Jayden Mandal at quarterback for Week 1, giving the Trojans a chance to go against a passer with limited college experience and an injury history that has shaped his path so far. USC still enters as the favorite, but this is the sort of game that can tell a lot about how real the early optimism around Maiava is once the competition starts to tighten and the scoring chances keep coming. [Read more 🡒]