The 2026 NBA Draft has come and gone, and once again, USC finds itself without a player hearing their name called. This marks the second year in a row that the Trojans have watched the draft without any of their talent stepping onto the NBA stage. With many of USC's top prospects opting to stay in school for another year, it seems the Trojans are playing the long game, focusing on development and future potential.
In the aftermath of the draft, Adam Finkelstein from CBS Sports has already set his sights on the future, releasing a way-too-early mock draft for 2027. In this early look, he projects USC's Alijah Arenas to be picked seventh overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder, courtesy of a pick from the Los Angeles Clippers.
Arenas is highlighted as one of the few potential game-changers in the 2027 draft class. His freshman year was a rollercoaster of ups and downs, largely due to injuries that limited him to just 14 appearances for the Trojans.
However, with a full offseason to regroup and hone his skills, Arenas has the opportunity to refine his game and showcase his true potential. If he can stay healthy and build on the flashes of brilliance he displayed, Arenas could very well become a standout player for USC and a coveted prospect for the NBA.
The journey ahead for Arenas is one filled with promise and potential. As he gears up for what could be a defining year, all eyes will be on him to see if he can rise to the occasion and cement his status as a future NBA star.
In Other News...
Indiana Just Lost Another Experienced Arm To The Portal
USC kept adding to its pitching mix this offseason with another veteran arm, a move that should matter for a staff looking to keep building on back-to-back NCAA Tournament trips. The Trojans are trying to push deeper in 2027, and experience has been a clear priority as they piece together a roster that can handle the grind of a full season and give them more options on the mound.
Anthony Gubitosi arrives after stops at Delaware and Indiana, giving USC a left-handed option with a lot of college baseball behind him already. He spent last season in Indianas bullpen, where he was used in a limited role, and now gets a fresh start in Los Angeles for his fifth collegiate season as the Trojans continue to reshape the pitching staff. [Read more 🡒]
USC Freshman Elbert Hill Is Already Testing A Familiar Trojans Narrative
USC spent plenty of energy building out its cornerback future in the 2026 cycle, and Elbert Rock Hill is already looking like the most interesting piece of that plan. The freshman arrived with the kind of reputation that makes coaches pay attention, and he has backed it up quickly in spring practice, where his athleticism and knack for making plays have stood out in a crowded defensive backs room.
That room is no soft landing, either, with veterans and other highly regarded recruits all pushing for snaps when the season arrives. Still, USC has not hidden its preference for getting freshmen on the field early rather than parking them for a redshirt year, and Hills fast start is giving the program another familiar Trojans storyline to monitor: whether a gifted young corner can force his way into the rotation sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
USCs 2026 Schedule Has An Uncomfortable Transfer Portal Twist
USCs 2026 football schedule already had the usual road-test intrigue, but it comes with an added layer of familiarity that will make a few Saturdays feel a little more personal. Several former Trojans are set to show up on the other sideline, creating a tour of recent roster departures that stretches across the fall and turns nonconference and Big Ten games into reunion opportunities.
The list includes Deijon Laffitte and Gino Quinones with Fresno State, Bear Alexander with Oregon, Kade Eldridge with Washington, Bryan Jackson with Wisconsin and Harry Dalton III with Maryland. For USC, it is the kind of reminder that the transfer portal can reshape a roster quickly, and also the kind of schedule wrinkle that can leave an old fan favorite or two in line for an awkward welcome back. [Read more 🡒]