Fall camp is about to put USC’s depth chart under the microscope, and the most interesting fights are clustered in the spots where the Trojans have both proven production and high-end young talent.
That’s the backdrop as Big Ten Media Days in Chicago approach and USC heads into a season that looks like one of the strongest rosters Lincoln Riley has had in Los Angeles. Retention helped.
The portal helped. Landing the No. 1 recruiting class in the 2026 cycle helped even more.
Now the Trojans have to sort out who actually lines up first when the games start.
Receiver is one of the first places to watch. Sophomore Tanook Hines looks set on the outside, but USC still has to replace Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane.
NC State transfer Terrell Anderson is the only portal addition at the position, and he brings real experience after playing in every game the past two seasons for the Wolfpack and coming off a breakout year. He’ll be pushed by freshmen Boobie Feaster and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, two more advanced prospects who should all have roles this season.
The question is which one gets the first nod in late August.
The slot battle has its own intrigue. Trent Mosley may have been the most impressive newcomer this spring, and the 2025 California MaxPreps Player of the Year has a skill set that looks eerily similar to Lemon’s.
Zacharyus Williams is also in the mix after being limited to five games last season because of a significant upper-body injury. The redshirt sophomore spent his first offseason with USC after transferring from Utah last summer, and this group matters because of what it means for quarterback Jayden Maiava in year three under Riley.
Up front, USC is looking for more consistent pressure, and that makes the edge rotation worth tracking closely. Junior Kameryn Crawford and senior Braylan Shelby have both been part-time starters over the last two seasons, but Crawford led the team in sacks last year and enters camp as the favorite to become a full-time starter. Shelby, meanwhile, brings 37 career games of experience and is trying to make a leap in year four under defensive ends coach Shaun Nua.
Then there’s Luke Wafle, and this is the kind of freshman arrival that changes the conversation. The No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class, Wafle is one of the biggest recruiting wins USC has landed this century after beating out Ohio State for the 6-6, 265-pound New Jersey native.
He backed up the hype with 23 sacks in his senior season, then posted three more in the Navy All-American Bowl and won MVP honors. USC badly needs better pass rush and steadier defensive line play, and Wafle has the kind of profile that could help right away.
Linebacker is another spot where the Trojans are sorting through a mix of returners, transfers and newcomers after inconsistent play a year ago. Riley responded by bringing in Mike Ekeler from Nebraska to coach linebackers and handle special teams, while AJ Howard was promoted to outside linebackers coach.
Junior Desman Stephens started all 13 games last season, but he’ll have to win the job again. Redshirt sophomore Jadyn Walker played in all 13 games and made five starts in 2025 after missing most of his true freshman year with a shoulder injury.
Washington transfer Deven Bryant is there to challenge them, while Elijah Newby and Ta’Mere Robinson return after serving as key reserves and special teams pieces.
The name that jumps out most in that room is Talanoa Ili. At 6-3 and 225 pounds, the freshman has the look of a future Big Ten linebacker, and his résumé backs it up.
He was the No. 6 linebacker and a top 100 recruit, starred at Orange Lutheran for three seasons, then finished as the MaxPreps Hawaii Player of the Year at Kahuku. With that kind of athletic profile, he’s one of the most intriguing young defenders on the roster.
Cornerback might be the deepest and most competitive of the bunch. Redshirt sophomore Marcelles Williams took over in week 3 last season and held the job the rest of the way, showing real growth and becoming a major part of USC’s defensive success over the final month of the regular season. But Trovon Reed went aggressive in both the portal and recruiting, and the room now has a lot more to sort through.
Jontez Williams, the Iowa State transfer rated as the No. 1 cornerback in the portal, arrives as the most experienced option. He has played in 32 career games with 19 starts over the past three seasons and earned second-team All-Big-12 honors in 2024 after picking off four passes.
He and redshirt sophomore Chasen Johnson are both coming off season-ending knee injuries, though both are expected to be ready for camp. Johnson started four games for Reed at UCF in 2024.
The young talent is just as compelling. Freshman Elbert “Rock” Hill was the No. 1 cornerback in the 2026 cycle and brings advanced technique along with elite athleticism. Redshirt freshman RJ Sermons was originally the No. 1 cornerback in that class before reclassifying and enrolling late last summer, and the Rancho Cucamonga sprinter adds size and speed that stand out immediately.
That’s the fun of USC’s fall camp: every one of these battles has a different shape, but they all point to the same thing. The Trojans have options now, and they have to figure out which ones travel best once the real competition starts.
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The latest Rivals300 update for the 2027 cycle gave USCs class another round of movement, with five-star defensive end Mekai Brown landing at No. 18 nationally and staying among the elite names in the group. He was not the only commit to benefit from the refresh, either, as offensive lineman Drew Fielder and defensive lineman Tolo Tuihalamaka climbed, while tight end Jace Cannon moved into the Rivals300 after earning his fourth star.
Even with that talent still in place, USCs 2027 class has slipped to No. 13 nationally as other programs have stacked bigger commitment runs. The Trojans still have plenty of runway before signing day, and the bigger question now is whether this group can keep adding the kind of high-end pieces that can push it back toward the top tier. [Read more 🡒]
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Faalave-Johnson has also offered his own read on the class, and it tracks with the way USC has been assembling it: not necessarily huge, but stocked with players who fit and cover important spots. He is expected to help on both sides of the ball, primarily at safety while also giving the offense options, and his view of the class adds another layer to the ongoing debate among fans about whether the Trojans are prioritizing star power, balance, or simply the right pieces in the right places. [Read more 🡒]