With 20 days left before USC opens its 2026 football season against San Jose State on August 29 at the Coliseum, the countdown lands on one of the most important names in Trojan history: Heisman Trophy running back Mike Garrett.
Garrett played at USC from 1963 through 1965, and he arrived as an undersized back at 5 feet 9 inches who had originally hoped to suit up for UCLA. The Bruins passed because of his size, and Garrett wound up choosing USC instead.
That decision changed the program’s trajectory. Garrett is widely credited with helping build USC’s reputation as “Tailback U,” and his senior season in 1965 became a landmark moment.
He rushed for more than 1,000 yards, becoming the first Trojan in nearly 40 years to do it. He also became USC’s first Heisman Trophy winner that year, setting the stage for seven more Trojans to claim college football’s top individual prize, with more to come.
Garrett’s football journey didn’t end in Los Angeles. In 1966, he was drafted by both the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFL, when the two leagues were still battling for talent.
He chose the AFL, spent seven seasons with the Chiefs and the San Diego Chargers, earned first-team all-AFL honors twice, and won Super Bowl IV with Kansas City. He is also in the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Honor.
After his playing career, Garrett returned to USC in a major leadership role, serving as athletic director from 1993 to 2010. His time in that job came with plenty of controversy, including the infamous firing of John Robinson over an answering machine. But Garrett is also remembered as the athletic director who hired Pete Carroll, a move that helped launch another golden era for the Trojans, including two national championships.
In Other News...
USC May Be Closing In On Lincoln Rileys Next QB Of The Future
USC appears to be making a move well ahead of schedule at the quarterback position, and the latest name tied to Lincoln Rileys pipeline is Texas prospect Trey Wright. A three-star recruit from Lone Star High in Frisco, Wright has picked up attention from a wide range of programs, with Colorado, Oregon, UCLA, Michigan, TCU and SMU all in the mix as he weighs his next step.
National recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong reports that Wright is expected to land with the Trojans, which would give USC another potential long-term answer under center to develop for the future. For a program that has built much of its identity around elite quarterback play, getting ahead of a crowded recruiting race could matter just as much as the commitment itself. [Read more 🡒]
USCs Next Wave At Receiver Is Already Turning Heads
Fall camp is giving USC a first real look at the receiver rooms next chapter, and the attention has naturally shifted to the players who could help fill the void left by departures to the NFL. Among the names drawing interest are sophomore Tanook Hines, who already has college experience, and freshman Ethan Boobie Feaster, whose arrival came with the sort of recruiting buzz that follows a highly ranked prospect into August.
Both have flashed the kind of physical tools that fit what USC wants to do on offense, which is why they are already being mentioned as possible major contributors by the 2026 season. It is still early, of course, but the encouraging part for the Trojans is that the next wave at receiver does not look like a waiting project, and camp is starting to show that the transition in that group may come faster than expected. [Read more 🡒]
USC Heads Into Scrimmage With One Crucial Offensive Line Job Unsettled
USC is set to get a longer look at itself in a closed scrimmage at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a useful checkpoint for Lincoln Riley as kickoff approaches. The staff is trying to sort out readiness and depth across the roster, and nowhere is that more important than up front, where the Trojans have had to keep searching for the right combination as camp rolls on.
Kaylon Miller has been among the linemen drawing attention for his progress, and the center competition has become one of the more important pieces of the preseason puzzle. With the offense still working through that spot, this scrimmage should give USC a clearer sense of who can handle the job and who is ready to step in when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]