The No. 14 USC Trojans are back under the lights Friday night, opening against Fresno State at 6 p.m. PT in a second non-conference test that should tell a little more about how this roster is coming together.
With Lincoln Riley and his staff already juggling a couple of injuries and making adjustments to the depth chart before Week 0, USC enters this game with several position battles still worth watching. The Trojans showed a few early signs in the win over San José State, but Fresno State gives them another chance to sort out who is moving into real roles and who is still fighting for them.
One of the more interesting names is Corey Simms. Freshman receiver Trent Mosley and tight end Mark Bowman drew plenty of attention last week, but Simms may end up mattering even more to USC’s offense down the line. He gives Jayden Maiava a bigger target on the outside, and that kind of reliability becomes even more important with Tanook Hines out to start the season.
Hines is expected back, possibly even against Fresno State, and once he returns he figures to draw heavy attention from opposing defenses. That makes Simms’ role potentially more valuable, since he could help USC take advantage of the space Hines creates.
Against San José State, Simms caught 4 passes for 42 yards, and his progress will be one of those details worth tracking as the season moves along. The freshmen will keep getting the spotlight - Mosley, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, and Boobie Feaster among them - but Simms has a real chance to become a key piece this fall.
The Trojans also have a decision brewing at cornerback. Chasen Johnson and Elbert “Rock” Hill are both listed as starters with an “OR” on the depth chart, which tells you USC feels good about the depth there but still hasn’t locked down the exact order. Jontez Williams is set on the other side, and the real question is whether Johnson or Hill can separate enough to become the every-down answer.
That matters because the competition is only going to get tougher. The Trojans will eventually have to line up against No.
2 Oregon’s trio of Evan Stewart, Dakorien Moore, and Jeremiah McClellan, and later Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss. How USC handles Fresno State could offer the first hint of which cornerback the staff trusts most when those bigger tests arrive.
In the backfield, USC has no shortage of bodies. Waymond Jordan and King Miller form the top of the running back rotation, and both are listed as starters. Riley Wormley sits third on the depth chart for now, but the Trojans know they’ll need more than two backs to get through the season after what happened in 2025.
Freshman Shahn Alston made a strong early case last week, rushing 7 times for 30 yards and a touchdown against San José State. He got the third-most carries behind Jordan and Miller, and he’s not alone in the chase for the No. 3 job.
Deshonne Redeaux also flashed, picking up 26 yards on two carries. Wormley, meanwhile, got one carry and turned it into his first USC touchdown, though his value as a pass catcher could keep him involved even if the freshmen continue to push.
If Alston keeps building on that showing against Fresno State, he could lock down the third spot in the backfield.
In Other News...
USC Has A Freshman Turning Heads As Young Defenders Step Up
Trent Mosley wasted no time making his presence felt, and for USC that has been one of the brighter early developments of the season. The freshman receiver opened his college career with seven catches for 118 yards and a touchdown against San Jose State, then followed it up with another strong outing the next game, adding multiple touchdowns and drawing notice from teammates and coaches alike.
Mosleys emergence has helped soften some of the attention on a defense that has also been getting useful early contributions from young players. Nickel Kennedy Urlacher, Alex Graham and Jide Abasiri have each shown up in recent games, giving USC signs that some of its younger defenders are beginning to settle in and play meaningful snaps when the Trojans need them most. [Read more 🡒]
USC's Rout Put New Draft Attention On More Than One Trojan
USCs blowout of Fresno State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum drew more than attention from the scoreboard. NFL scouts from five franchises were in the building, turning a September game into another reminder that the Trojans are still a weekly stop on the pro personnel circuit. With former USC names already scattered across the league, the presence of those evaluators added a little extra weight to a rout that otherwise could have been just another easy win.
The most visible reasons were on the field. Quarterback Jayden Maiava continued to give scouts a look at how he handles an offense under little pressure, while defensive players Jide Abasiri and Kennedy Urlacher also stood out in the kind of game where evaluators are often looking for who keeps competing after the outcome is settled. For USC, the broader takeaway is familiar: when the Trojans play well, the NFL tends to show up, and not just for the obvious headliners. [Read more 🡒]
USC Freshman Is Giving Lincoln Riley A New Receiver Problem
USCs 2-0 start has already included a welcome bonus for Lincoln Riley: a freshman receiver who looks ready for more than a depth-chart cameo. Trent Mosley has been one of the early bright spots for the Trojans, making his presence felt right away with key catches, yardage, and touchdowns that have helped him stand out in the opening weeks of the season.
For Riley, that kind of emergence creates the sort of good problem coaches like to have and opponents hate to solve. Mosleys production has quickly raised expectations for what he can mean in the offense moving forward, and it also adds another layer to a USC passing game that already had enough weapons to keep defenses busy. [Read more 🡒]