Late Wednesday, USC’s updated depth chart for its Week 1 meeting with Fresno State gave a clearer picture of where the roster is headed - and which players may need to make a move fast.
The No. 14 Trojans are starting to get healthier, with players who missed Week 0 back on the chart and expected to see action.
The snaps are still to be sorted out, but the position groups are filling up. With three home games coming up, the non-starters have a real chance to push for roles.
It also means some players could get squeezed out if they can’t separate themselves.
Two names that stand out in that conversation are redshirt-freshman running back Riley Wormley and redshirt-junior linebacker Ta’Mere Robinson.
Wormley’s path at USC has already been rocky. A three-star recruit out of high school, he had his senior season cut short by a season-ending injury, and that issue carried into his freshman year. He managed only three appearances late in the 2025 season and finished with five carries for 18 yards, two catches for 26 yards and a kickoff return for 22 yards.
His high school résumé suggested more was coming. During his junior year in 2023-2024, Wormley posted 85 carries for 901 yards (10.6 yards per carry), nine receptions for 123 yards and 19 touchdowns, per MaxPreps.
Before the injury, the Texas native had 583 rushing yards, 147 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns. He also brought legit speed, with personal bests of 11.81 in the 100 meters and 23.82 in the 200 meters.
USC’s Week 0 win over San José State showed just how crowded the backfield has become. Waymond Jordan and King Miller led the way, while true freshmen Shahn Alston and Dehsonne Redeaux both flashed.
Alston ran seven times for 30 yards and a touchdown. Redeaux added two carries for 26 yards and three returns for 69 yards.
Wormley also got in the end zone, scoring his first career touchdown against the Spartans.
In Week 0 of 2026, Wormley finished with one carry for a five-yard score and added a catch for six yards. For Week 1, he’s listed as the No. 3 back, but that spot won’t mean much if he can’t stand out.
He has also said he wants to handle return duties on special teams, but USC may already have answers there. Freshman receiver Trent Mosley handled punt returns in the opener, while Redeaux worked on kickoffs.
If Wormley can’t carve out a bigger role in Weeks 1 and 2, USC may have a difficult time keeping him in the fold.
Robinson faces a similar uphill battle at linebacker. He didn’t make a strong case in Week 0, finishing with one tackle and a missed tackle, and he did so while playing with younger players and third-rotation defenders in a group that allowed 26 points to the Spartans.
The linebacker production in that game came from elsewhere. Former Washington Husky Deven Bryant led the unit with three tackles, including two solo stops.
Desman Stephens II followed with two tackles, one solo stop and a tackle for loss. Redshirt-sophomore Jadyn Walker and true freshman Talanoa Ili were also part of the mix.
For Friday’s game, Robinson is listed behind Stephens at WILL linebacker, though Ili could take some of those snaps. Ili has been drawing attention since spring and could be the next true freshman to earn a starting job on defense. Lincoln Riley and his staff have already shown they’re willing to let younger players move ahead of veterans.
Robinson has the frame plenty of programs want in a linebacker at 6-3 and 240 pounds, with the length and movement to cover or attack downhill. But that profile hasn’t shown up consistently on the field.
In 2025, his first season with USC, he played in all 13 games mostly on special teams and finished with 11 tackles. Before that, at Penn State, he recorded 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks over 14 games.
If Robinson can’t get rolling in Weeks 1 and 2, his chances of earning meaningful reps at USC could get very thin.
In Other News...
USC Is About To Get An Early Test Up Front
USC is getting a useful measuring stick early, and it comes in the form of a Fresno State defense that was the best unit in the Mountain West a year ago. The Bulldogs held opponents to just 286 yards and 19 points per game, and the strength starts up front under defensive coordinator Nick Benedetto, who brought his system over from Northern Illinois and has plenty of experience to lean on in the trenches.
The matchup should tell plenty about where the Trojans are on the line of scrimmage, especially against a front that has made life hard on the run game. Fresno State went 9-0 last season when it kept opponents under 140 rushing yards, and linebacker Tytus Khajavi is expected to be one of the key players helping set the tone. Against a USC offense that wants to establish itself early, that kind of resistance can reveal a lot quickly. [Read more 🡒]
USC Fans May Not Love This Name In The Next Coaching Cycle
The next college football coaching cycle is already taking shape, and USC will be watching closely as a familiar set of names begins to surface. Kliff Kingsbury, Mike Norvell and Kalani Sitake are all being discussed as possible candidates for upcoming openings, a reminder that the sports carousel never really stops spinning once the season gets going.
For Trojans fans, the part worth tracking is not just who lands where, but which coaches remain in the conversation if jobs at the top of the market open up. Kingsbury, Norvell and Sitake each bring a different profile and a different recent track record, which is why speculation around them is starting to build now, well before any actual vacancy is filled. [Read more 🡒]
USC Already Has One Clear Strength And One Growing Concern
USCs season opener against San Jose State offered an early look at what this roster might already do well, and which parts still need work. Jayden Maiava handled his first game of the year with plenty of positives, while defensive tackle Jide Abasiri also stood out in a performance that gave the Trojans something to build on. There were encouraging contributions, too, from wide receiver Trent Mosley and running back King Miller, suggesting the offense has multiple pieces ready to matter right away.
The concern showed up on the other side of the ball, where the secondary and some individual defenders had a rougher time keeping things clean. Kam Crawford was among the players who struggled, and that mattered because USCs defense is still trying to sort out its identity as the schedule moves forward. One game does not settle the bigger picture, but it did give the Trojans a pretty clear snapshot of where the strength is and where the questions are likely to linger. [Read more 🡒]