USC’s freshman class arrived with enough pedigree to make Week 1 feel less like an opening game and more like an audition. The Trojans signed 33 new freshmen in the No. 1 class in the 2026 cycle, and there are already four first-year players who could be in the starting lineup when USC opens against San Jose State on Aug. 29.
Trent Mosley looks like the cleanest bet of the bunch. Last fall, while he was carving up the Trinity League and the California pecking order, there was already a sense that the four-star receiver could step into the slot and replace Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon.
That idea only gained steam once spring practice started, and by the end of the spring, it felt even more likely. Mosley has been a problem for USC defensive backs from the moment he got on campus.
The reigning MaxPreps California Player of the Year is a smooth route runner, a natural glider after the catch and someone who can turn a screen into a big play or run past defenders downfield. Like Lemon, he plays bigger than his 5-foot-10 frame.
At tight end, Mark Bowman arrived with the kind of reputation that makes day-one expectations unavoidable. When he committed last May, he already looked like a starter waiting to happen.
USC had to fend off every major program in the country to land him, and the Trojans made keeping him in Southern California a priority. Lincoln Riley has turned the tight end spot into a real part of the offense, and Bowman gives him his most talented option there since Mark Andrews almost a decade ago at Oklahoma.
He’s a flexible piece for the offense, the kind of player who can be moved around and used as a chess piece. Bowman has also added 10 pounds this offseason as he prepares to play tight end in the Big Ten.
On defense, Luke Wafle has yet to play a snap in the Cardinal and Gold, but the buzz around him makes it easy to understand why he was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class. At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, he has the size that jumps off the page.
The feedback from players has matched the recruiting profile, and his game stands out because he moves like a pro rather than a typical freshman. Junior Kameryn Crawford is very likely to start at one defensive end spot, while junior Jide Abasiri could start at end or tackle.
USC also brings back senior Braylan Shelby, who has played in 37 career games with nine starts. That mix could shape whether Wafle breaks into the lineup right away.
The New Jersey native has the highest upside in the room, and every strong practice only makes it harder to keep him off the field.
The last name comes with a caveat, because it depends on what happens with sophomore Tanook Hines. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is no slighted by that uncertainty; if he starts, it will be because he earned it.
Hines missed all of spring and still hasn’t practiced in fall camp, with USC’s season coming up at the end of August. Dixon-Wyatt made noise from the first day of spring practice and kept building on it through the month before carrying that momentum into fall camp.
The Mater Dei product brings an explosive element that would be missed if Hines remains out, and he’s already built a strong connection with quarterback Jayden Maiava. He’s also the third Trinity League player on this list, a reminder of how much USC is leaning on talent from the toughest conference in high school football.
In Other News...
USC Practice Just Raised Two Big Questions About This Team
USCs 12th practice of camp came with the kind of energy Lincoln Riley has been looking for, but it also brought a few reminders that August is about more than just tempo and competition. The Trojans spent the day working at a high intensity, and one of the more notable developments was the arrival of a new crowd-noise setup on the practice fields, designed to mimic game-day conditions and force cleaner communication. Riley also pointed to the running game and the defensive front seven as areas worth watching, with the defense drawing praise for how it showed up in practice.
Kilian OConnors season-ending injury remains part of the conversation, though he is still around the program in a leadership and mentoring role. The other issue that will keep drawing attention is the kicking battle, where Ryon Sayeri and Caden Chittenden continue to compete for the job as USC sorts out the details heading into the season. Special teams often gets settled quietly, but for a team trying to eliminate mistakes in a louder, more demanding practice environment, those reps can matter just as much as anything else on the field. [Read more 🡒]
USC Freshman Keenyi Pepe Suddenly Has A Real Path To Early Snaps
USCs loaded signing class from last December was always going to create some chatter about who might get on the field early, and freshman offensive lineman Keenyi Pepe has suddenly moved into that conversation. ESPN analyst Billy Tucker recently put Pepe among the top true freshmen with a chance to make an impact this season, pointing to the kind of size and technique that can get a young lineman noticed quickly once camp and depth-chart battles begin.
The door to playing time has also widened at center, where a spot has opened up and changed the equation for the Trojans up front. For Pepe, that does not guarantee anything, but it does create a more realistic path than most freshmen have when they arrive in a room full of older bodies and established roles, and it is exactly the sort of development USC will be watching closely as fall approaches. [Read more 🡒]
USC Receiver Battle Suddenly Feels Bigger Than Anyone Expected
USCs receiver room has been one of the more interesting spots in fall camp, and not just because of the usual August churn. The Trojans have mixed in transfer addition Terrell Anderson from NC State with a wave of freshmen, including Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Trent Mosley, Boobie Feaster and Tron Baker, and coaches have already had plenty to evaluate as they sort out who fits where in the offense. There has been enough early promise from the newcomers to suggest this is more than a depth exercise, especially for a group that is still trying to define its pecking order.
The intrigue only grows because the Trojans are still waiting on clarity with sophomore Tanook Hines as the opener approaches, which keeps the competition from feeling settled. With several young receivers flashing and roles still in flux, this has become one of those camp battles that can change a depth chart quickly and shape how USC wants to attack early in the season. Even before a snap is played, the room already feels like it could matter more than anyone expected. [Read more 🡒]