USC’s trip to face Ohio State in the 2026 Big Ten season is shaping up as one of the marquee games on the schedule, and one of the first problems the Trojans have to solve is up front.
ESPN pointed to James Smith as a key Buckeye who could make life difficult for USC. Ohio State is trying to reload after seven players were selected in the NFL draft, and Smith arrived from Alabama to bolster the defensive tackle spot. With Kayden McDonald, the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, gone, Smith moved into a role he took over quickly this spring.
The appeal is obvious. Smith brings the kind of profile that can wreck a run game before it ever gets going.
He has the size to handle double-teams, the quickness to attack gaps, and the kind of violent run defense that forces an offense to stay on schedule. ESPN also noted that he can help as a pass rusher, too, thanks to his experience playing end at Alabama under Nick Saban.
The report described him as an immediate impact player for the Buckeyes this fall, and that fits the challenge in front of USC. The Trojans know they need explosive plays down the field to beat Ohio State, but that only works if the run game does enough to keep the offense balanced and draw more bodies into the box.
That puts a spotlight on USC’s offensive line. If the Trojans can’t deal with Smith, the whole operation gets tougher - running the ball becomes harder, the passing game gets more predictable, and the offense loses some of its punch.
In Other News...
Indiana Just Lost Another Experienced Arm To The Portal
USC kept adding to its pitching mix this offseason with another veteran arm, a move that should matter for a staff looking to keep building on back-to-back NCAA Tournament trips. The Trojans are trying to push deeper in 2027, and experience has been a clear priority as they piece together a roster that can handle the grind of a full season and give them more options on the mound.
Anthony Gubitosi arrives after stops at Delaware and Indiana, giving USC a left-handed option with a lot of college baseball behind him already. He spent last season in Indianas bullpen, where he was used in a limited role, and now gets a fresh start in Los Angeles for his fifth collegiate season as the Trojans continue to reshape the pitching staff. [Read more 🡒]
USC Freshman Elbert Hill Is Already Testing A Familiar Trojans Narrative
USC spent plenty of energy building out its cornerback future in the 2026 cycle, and Elbert Rock Hill is already looking like the most interesting piece of that plan. The freshman arrived with the kind of reputation that makes coaches pay attention, and he has backed it up quickly in spring practice, where his athleticism and knack for making plays have stood out in a crowded defensive backs room.
That room is no soft landing, either, with veterans and other highly regarded recruits all pushing for snaps when the season arrives. Still, USC has not hidden its preference for getting freshmen on the field early rather than parking them for a redshirt year, and Hills fast start is giving the program another familiar Trojans storyline to monitor: whether a gifted young corner can force his way into the rotation sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
USCs 2026 Schedule Has An Uncomfortable Transfer Portal Twist
USCs 2026 football schedule already had the usual road-test intrigue, but it comes with an added layer of familiarity that will make a few Saturdays feel a little more personal. Several former Trojans are set to show up on the other sideline, creating a tour of recent roster departures that stretches across the fall and turns nonconference and Big Ten games into reunion opportunities.
The list includes Deijon Laffitte and Gino Quinones with Fresno State, Bear Alexander with Oregon, Kade Eldridge with Washington, Bryan Jackson with Wisconsin and Harry Dalton III with Maryland. For USC, it is the kind of reminder that the transfer portal can reshape a roster quickly, and also the kind of schedule wrinkle that can leave an old fan favorite or two in line for an awkward welcome back. [Read more 🡒]