USC’s countdown to kickoff has reached day 50, and the Trojans are marking the halfway point by spotlighting former defensive lineman Nick Figueroa.
USC opens its 2026 football season on August 29, when it hosts San Jose State at the Coliseum, and this series has been rolling through notable Trojans who wore each number. At No. 50, Figueroa fits the bill after a productive run in cardinal and gold.
Figueroa’s path to USC wasn’t a straight line. He redshirted at Cal Poly in 2017, spent the 2018 season at the junior college level, then transferred to USC in 2019. He wore No. 50 for his first three seasons with the Trojans before changing to No. 99 ahead of his final year of eligibility in 2022.
That switch came with his best season. Figueroa put together a career year in 2022, finishing with 26 total tackles and 5.5 sacks.
He also seemed to have a special knack for lining up against Washington State. Of his 10 career sacks, five came in two games against the Cougars. By the time he graduated, Wazzu fans had every reason to be relieved they wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore.
Figueroa went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, but his time at USC left him with more than football accomplishments. He earned a bachelor’s degree in real estate and also pursued a master’s degree in finance while playing for the Trojans. According to his LinkedIn, he now works as an associate at Leonard Green & Partners.
And for anyone wondering about the famous Figueroa Street entrance to campus, there doesn’t appear to be any relation between Nick and the street.
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