USC is heading into this season with a roster built to win now, and Eric Musselman is leaning into that reality.
For the first time in his time with the Trojans, Musselman has more than one returning player to build around. Rodney Rice, Jacob Cofie and Alijah Arenas are back, giving USC a base to work from after a year in which injuries made continuity hard to find.
"We're super excited just to have three returners in Rodney Rice, Jacob Cofie and Alijah Arenas and then three incoming freshmen, and then kind of sandwiched in between is the portal class," he said on Big Ten Network at Big Ten Media Day in Rosemont, Ill. "We got to continue to get healthy.
Obviously, last year with Alijah being in and out of the lineup with injuries and Rodney, it was super hard for us to have consistency. But right now we're super excited about what we're about to encounter."
That optimism comes with pressure attached. If things break right, USC may have to reload again soon, with five seniors on the roster and all three returners plus three freshmen already drawing draft attention. That makes the Trojans a win-now group whether they want the label or not.
The first real dress rehearsal comes Friday against North Carolina in an exhibition game in Greensboro, N.C. It’s the first of three scrimmages against outside competition before USC opens Nov. 2 against Milwaukee at the Galen Center.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PST on Big Ten+.
Musselman has made it clear he wants to build depth early, especially after injuries knocked last season off course.
"We're like less than 24 hours away from playing an exhibition game, but it's going to be good for us because we feel like we have a plan in these three exhibition games to try to develop our bench as well," he said. "We just continue to talk about how we can keep a team fresh with the travel and then knowing how difficult every Big Ten game is. You got to understand it's a marathon because last year we started off so well, played so well in Maui and then injuries kind of affected our depth."
Rice, Cofie and Arenas also have another job: helping everyone else settle in after a year in the system. Rice and Arenas still haven’t really had a chance to play together, and USC’s three freshmen - Adonis Ratliff, Darius Ratliff and Christian Collins - give the Trojans a talented but inexperienced front line.
Collins was ranked No. 10 overall, Adonis No. 23 and Darius No. 29.
Cofie didn’t mince words about what he sees.
"The talent I see from these kids is insane," Cofie said Thursday. "More talent than I had when I was a freshman. So, it was really shocking to see their talent and their capabilities."
USC also brought in six transfers, giving Musselman a roster with size, skill and options all over the floor. Jalen Cox from Colgate is expected to handle the offense off the bench.
KJ Lewis arrives from Georgetown as a proven creator. Eric Reibe, who came from Connecticut, could be the true center Musselman has been looking for at USC.
Joshua Hughes from Evansville brings versatility as a three-and-D forward, while Jadis Jones of Lindenwood and Isaac Bruns of South Dakota should add different kinds of scoring punch in reserve minutes - Jones with slashing ability and Bruns as a quick-trigger long-range shooter.
In today’s portal-driven game, almost every roster carries a win-now feel. USC’s is no different, though the stakes seem especially clear here.
Rice and Arenas are back after injury-riddled seasons. Cofie returned looking to show more to NBA scouts after strong showings at the G-League Draft Combine and NBA Draft Scouting Combine this summer.
All three are expected to trend toward the NBA draft after the season, and a couple of underclassmen could also be on that path if USC clicks.
For Musselman, the leadership piece will matter as much as the talent.
"Rodney's going to have to lead us in so many different ways. He's our quarterback.
He's going to play that point guard position," Musselman said. "He can also slide over and play some off-guard when Jalen Cox and he play together, and Jalen runs the point guard position.
But he is a leader through his actions, and then we have some other guys like Christian Collins who is bouncing all over the place. He's got great, great energy.
KJ Lewis is a guy that's got leadership. Jacob Cofie's been great from a leadership standpoint, especially with his practice habits.
So, it's going to be a variety of guys that lead and lead us in different ways."
The Trojans appear to have the ingredients. Now it’s about turning that collection into a team.
"Muss, I see the fire in his eyes, man. I see he wants to win," Cofie said. "I feel like we can bring that with our roster and the energy that we have and be ready to play."
In Other News...
USC Linebackers Just Changed A Big Concern Before Penn State
TaMere Robinson stepped into the lineup for suspended Desmond Stephens II and made the kind of impact USC has been looking for on defense, helping the Trojans grind out a 25-21 win over Washington. The unit tied a season high with five sacks and 48 total tackles, and linebackers Robinson, Deven Bryant and Elijah Newby each earned game balls after a performance that gave the defense some real momentum.
Lincoln Riley praised the depth and effort from that linebacker group, and the timing matters with Penn State next on the schedule. USC is heading into a road environment where communication will be tested by expected crowd noise, so the Trojans now have something tangible to lean on from Saturday beyond the result itself. [Read more 🡒]
USC Just Lost One Of Its Most Respected Special Teams Leaders
USCs special teams unit took a jolt in the Washington game when linebacker Roman Marchetti went down with a left leg injury on a kickoff return and did not come back. For a team that has leaned on him as one of its most dependable special teams pieces, the loss carried immediate weight beyond just one snap. Marchetti had become a respected presence in that phase of the game after arriving as a walk-on and eventually earning a scholarship, a path that made him easy to root for inside the program.
Marchetti later announced on social media that the injury brought an end to his 15-year football career, turning a painful in-game moment into something much bigger for USC. It is a reminder of how much value the Trojans had in a player who built his place the hard way and earned the trust that comes with it. Even without the full football ride continuing, his departure leaves a gap in a part of the roster where reliability matters as much as anything else. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Faces A Pressure Game USC Fans Can't Ignore
The mood around Lincoln Riley has shifted from unease to open frustration, and it surfaced loudly during USCs Week 5 game against Washington. Even with the Trojans sitting at 5-1, the performance did little to calm a fan base worn down by repeated penalties, uneven play and the same old issues away from home that have followed USC into the Big Ten.
Penn State now looms as the kind of test that can either steady the conversation or deepen it, with a hostile road crowd waiting and little margin for another flat showing. Since joining the Big Ten in 2024, USC has not looked comfortable outside its own stadium, and that history is what makes this next trip feel bigger than just another game on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]