The Oregon Ducks may be built to make life miserable on defense in every phase, and the secondary looks like a major reason why.
That matters in a matchup with USC, where the Trojans are usually at their best at receiver. Oregon appears to have the kind of cornerback talent that can take that strength away, and Brandon Finney sits right at the center of it.
Bjorn Bergstrom recently highlighted Finney as one of the top defenders in the country, and the numbers back up the hype. The four-star recruit in the 2025 class was not supposed to walk into a starting job, but he forced his way onto the field and made it count. Finney finished with 42 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack.
He also delivered in the biggest moments. Finney had a fourth-quarter pick-six against Indiana in Week 7, then came up huge again in the Orange Bowl against Texas Tech, where he intercepted two passes, forced a fumble and earned Defensive MVP honors.
The production was matched by consistency. The 6-foot-2, 203-pound defensive back did not allow a catch in eight of his 15 starts and gave up only 12 catches on 37 targets last season.
According to ESPN Research, he also posted the second-best contested target rate in FBS at 73%. Oregon trusted him in press coverage, too, with Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi putting him on 111 snaps there, the fifth most in the Big Ten.
That kind of profile is why Finney is expected to remain a major piece for Oregon in 2026. And if the Ducks are going to slow USC in Week 5, Tanook Hines and Terrell Anderson will have to win their battles and create separation against him.
In Other News...
USC Legacy Recruit Just Made A Decision Trojans Fans Will Feel
USC spent part of the 2027 recruiting cycle doing what it often does with high-end Southern California talent, staying involved and making a real push on a player who carried plenty of name recognition before he ever took a college visit. Paisios Polamalu, a versatile 2027 athlete who has been projected as a safety, drew interest from the Trojans and several other programs, and USC even hosted him and his father on campus as part of the process.
The Trojans will have to keep moving without him, though, because the latest turn in his recruitment leaves one of the more natural legacy connections off the board for now. Even so, USCs 2027 class remains in good shape, which softens the blow a bit, but this was the kind of pursuit that always felt like it could matter beyond one commitment. [Read more 🡒]
USC Freshman Mark Bowman Is Drawing Serious Hype For A Reason
USC has spent the offseason looking for answers at tight end, and freshman Mark Bowman is quickly becoming one of the most intriguing names in the mix. The 6-foot-4 newcomer arrives with the kind of athletic profile that naturally grabs attention, and he is already being viewed as a player who could help fill a real need in Lincoln Rileys offense after the Trojans lost veteran reliability at the position.
Brad Crawford recently put Bowman near the top of the Big Tens first-year buzz list, and it is easy to see why the hype has followed him to campus. The bigger question now is how quickly that excitement turns into production, because Bowman is already being talked about as a target for USCs passing game in 2026 and could have a path to early opportunities if he keeps flashing the traits that made him such a coveted prospect. [Read more 🡒]
USC Fans Are Already Asking One Massive Question About Talanoa Ili
Talanoa Ili arrived at USC with plenty of buzz, and not just because he is one of the top linebacker prospects in the class. The four-star recruit committed to the Trojans in June 2025 after a heavily contested chase that included Oregon and UCLA, and USCs staff kept working him through multiple visits before landing him. He also spent his senior season at Kahuku High School, giving the Trojans another physical, well-regarded defender to point toward as they keep reshaping the front seven.
Mike Ekelers early impression only added to the intrigue. USCs new linebackers coach came away from spring practice praising Ilis talent and instincts, the kind of endorsement that tends to get fans thinking beyond the recruiting ranking and toward what comes next. The bigger question now is how quickly he can turn that promise into real value on defense, because for a program trying to build depth and identity at linebacker, the answer could matter sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]