The Big Ten’s annual Media Days open Tuesday in Chicago, and USC is walking into the spotlight with a lot more than a normal preseason tune-up hanging over it. For Lincoln Riley, this feels like a defining year. He’s entering his fifth season in Southern California, and the expectation around the program is clear: a College Football Playoff trip or the questions only get louder.
USC has reasons to feel good about where it stands. The Trojans return the most starters in the FBS, Jayden Maiava is back as an experienced quarterback, and Riley made a major move on defense by bringing Hall of Fame coach Gary Patterson in as defensive coordinator. Media Days will be the first real chance for fans and reporters to hear how USC is framing the season, what the leadership group sounds like, and how the Trojans are thinking about a push back toward national relevance.
Riley is scheduled to speak Tuesday, July 28, at approximately 10:45 a.m. PT, closing out the day as the final coach on the schedule.
The Big Ten Network will carry the event live, with its Media Days coverage running from 8:30 a.m. PT to 11 a.m.
PT. USC players are also expected to appear on the network during the late morning, though no exact time has been announced.
The Trojans’ delegation in Chicago includes Maiava, defensive tackle Jide Abasiri, and Michigan State transfer defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren. That group says plenty about the direction USC wants to project: a veteran quarterback, a disruptive interior defender, and a transfer who brings Big Ten experience and toughness to the front.
Maiava, who took over as USC’s full-time starter last season, is now one of the league’s top returning quarterbacks. The redshirt senior completed more than 65 percent of his passes for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns, while also rushing for 157 yards and six touchdowns. He was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team, became a Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist, finished as a Polynesian College Football Player of the Year finalist, and was recently listed as a nominee for the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
Abasiri gave USC a real lift on the defensive line in 2025. The junior posted 26 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. He missed just one tackle all season, a level of consistency that helped earn him a place on the 2026 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List and a spot on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List.
VanSumeren brings a different kind of value. He arrives from Michigan State after recording 52 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks last season, while leading the Spartans’ interior defensive linemen with 22 defensive stops and 10 quarterback pressures.
Pro Football Focus gave him a 78.9 tackling grade. USC is counting on him to help strengthen a defensive front that needs to be more physical, and his pairing with Abasiri gives the Trojans two experienced interior pieces who could go a long way toward shaping what this defense becomes in 2026.
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Waymond Jordan Just Gave USC Fans A Reason To Watch Honolulu Closely
Honolulu was already a familiar stop for Jayden Maiava, and the USC quarterback was back there again for a meet-and-greet and fundraiser tied to Aloha 1st Athletics and its Sports Week Hawaii initiative. He was joined by running back Waymond Jordan, giving Trojans fans another reminder that the programs Hawaii ties keep showing up in more than just recruiting conversations. Maiava has been active in the community there before, including a football clinic and school visits, while the event itself centered on a broader mission around sports, connection and support for local families.
Jordans presence carried its own significance for USC, especially with summer work and fall camp approaching. The running back is coming off an ankle injury from the 2025 season, and his return to public view in Honolulu offered a positive checkpoint after a long rehab stretch. For a team that will be watching its backfield closely, any update involving Jordan tends to draw interest, and this trip at least suggested he is moving in the right direction as the offseason rolls on. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Just Made USC Fans Even More Concerned About Notre Dame
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The split is tied to a scheduling disagreement, with USC preferring an early-season game and Notre Dame pushing for a later date, and Lincoln Riley still said he wants the rivalry to continue. But his comments also left the door open to the idea that USC would be lining up for the game if a certain unresolved condition had been met, which is exactly the sort of detail that keeps this from feeling like a simple calendar issue. [Read more 🡒]
Three USC Returners Are Suddenly Carrying Lincoln Rileys Biggest Burden
USCs preseason spotlight has a way of settling on the obvious names, but the pressure inside Lincoln Rileys program is spreading beyond the headline stars. With a reloaded receiving corps around Maiava and a defense still sorting out new pieces, the Trojans are leaning on a handful of returners to stabilize both sides of the ball as expectations rise again in Los Angeles.
Hines is part of that burden on offense, where USC needs someone to emerge as a dependable target while the rest of the receiver room settles in. On the other side, Christian Pierce is being asked to help hold together a secondary that lost a key piece, and Jahkeem Stewart is among the defenders expected to make an immediate impact. The early schedule should offer a quick read on how ready those returners are, and whether this group can carry more of Rileys burden than it has before. [Read more 🡒]