USC’s fall camp has reached the point where the picture is starting to sharpen.
After Wednesday’s scrimmage at the Coliseum and Friday’s practice at Howard Jones Field, Lincoln Riley said the coaching staff has picked up some real clarity across the roster, even with the usual layer of secrecy still hanging over camp. One of the clearest areas, Riley said, is wide receiver, where the staff feels it has a better sense of a two-deep starting point despite some players being held out.
Riley didn’t pin down names, but he made it sound like the staff has a firmer idea of who it expects to see early and often when USC opens against San Jose State on August 29. That doesn’t mean every battle is settled. It does mean the Trojans are moving past the broad competition stage and into something closer to lineup definition.
That matters because USC has spent the offseason leaning into competition, cross-training and the idea of depth across the roster. Those themes aren’t disappearing once the season starts, but the calendar is pushing the Trojans toward decisions. After Sunday’s coach meetings, the reveal of the two-deep feels close.
On the defensive side, Desman Stephens II and Christian Pierce offered some of the clearest windows into where things stand. Stephens talked about how comfortable he’s become before and after the snap, and how much slower the game feels for him now compared to last season. Pierce, meanwhile, was blunt about the communication in the secondary at this point in camp.
USC is still a work in progress, and Riley’s group has plenty left to clean up before September 29. But the overall feel coming out of this week is that the Trojans are moving closer to being ready for the season while still staying relatively healthy.
In Other News...
USC Practice Just Raised Two Big Questions About This Team
USCs 12th practice of camp came with the kind of energy Lincoln Riley has been looking for, but it also brought a few reminders that August is about more than just tempo and competition. The Trojans spent the day working at a high intensity, and one of the more notable developments was the arrival of a new crowd-noise setup on the practice fields, designed to mimic game-day conditions and force cleaner communication. Riley also pointed to the running game and the defensive front seven as areas worth watching, with the defense drawing praise for how it showed up in practice.
Kilian OConnors season-ending injury remains part of the conversation, though he is still around the program in a leadership and mentoring role. The other issue that will keep drawing attention is the kicking battle, where Ryon Sayeri and Caden Chittenden continue to compete for the job as USC sorts out the details heading into the season. Special teams often gets settled quietly, but for a team trying to eliminate mistakes in a louder, more demanding practice environment, those reps can matter just as much as anything else on the field. [Read more 🡒]
USC Freshman Keenyi Pepe Suddenly Has A Real Path To Early Snaps
USCs loaded signing class from last December was always going to create some chatter about who might get on the field early, and freshman offensive lineman Keenyi Pepe has suddenly moved into that conversation. ESPN analyst Billy Tucker recently put Pepe among the top true freshmen with a chance to make an impact this season, pointing to the kind of size and technique that can get a young lineman noticed quickly once camp and depth-chart battles begin.
The door to playing time has also widened at center, where a spot has opened up and changed the equation for the Trojans up front. For Pepe, that does not guarantee anything, but it does create a more realistic path than most freshmen have when they arrive in a room full of older bodies and established roles, and it is exactly the sort of development USC will be watching closely as fall approaches. [Read more 🡒]
USC Receiver Battle Suddenly Feels Bigger Than Anyone Expected
USCs receiver room has been one of the more interesting spots in fall camp, and not just because of the usual August churn. The Trojans have mixed in transfer addition Terrell Anderson from NC State with a wave of freshmen, including Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Trent Mosley, Boobie Feaster and Tron Baker, and coaches have already had plenty to evaluate as they sort out who fits where in the offense. There has been enough early promise from the newcomers to suggest this is more than a depth exercise, especially for a group that is still trying to define its pecking order.
The intrigue only grows because the Trojans are still waiting on clarity with sophomore Tanook Hines as the opener approaches, which keeps the competition from feeling settled. With several young receivers flashing and roles still in flux, this has become one of those camp battles that can change a depth chart quickly and shape how USC wants to attack early in the season. Even before a snap is played, the room already feels like it could matter more than anyone expected. [Read more 🡒]