Jayden Maiava is the obvious headliner, but USC’s fall camp buzz stretches well beyond the quarterback room.
With Lincoln Riley entering Maiava’s third season in his system, the Trojans are expecting a big leap. The bar is high: Maiava is supposed to handle Big Ten competition, pile up touchdowns, yards or both, and push himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation. Barring a season-ending injury, this is the year USC believes he can fully tap into what he can be.
Running back is a little less mysterious now that King Miller’s rise from walk-on to stat leader is no longer under the radar. Still, the Trojans have another name worth watching in the backfield.
Waymond Jordan will get his carries, but Redeaux brings a different kind of pop. He adds value as an explosive check-down target, and his profile fits what USC wants to do.
The note about Oaks Christian stars doing well at USC only adds to the sense that this could be the moment he breaks through.
At receiver, the departures of Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane to the NFL open the door for a new wave. Tanook Hines is locked into touches, and transfer Terrell Anderson from North Carolina State is in the mix too.
But the name with the clearest breakout path is Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. The four-star Mater Dei signee has a real shot to start as the third option in this Air Raid offense and then climb higher from there.
He attacks the ball in the air, adjusts well on shorter throws, and already shows advanced separation on his routes. USC fans know the Mater Dei pipeline, and Dixon-Wyatt has a chance to be the next one to thrive in the land of troy.
The tight end room has its own rising star in Bowman, who could end up as the top option at the position or at least the second tight end behind junior Josiah Jefferson. The Mater Dei standout has drawn comparisons to a younger version of Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, and the appeal is obvious: elite route breaks, a huge catch radius, and the kind of tools Riley can feature right away. Early red zone work feels like a natural fit.
Up front, USC brings back all five offensive linemen, giving the Trojans one of the country’s most experienced units. Tobias Raymond stands out because of his versatility. He’s played left guard and both tackle spots, and now he looks ready to settle in more comfortably at his natural left guard spot as he heads toward his NFL Draft-eligible season.
On defense, Stewart made the loudest offseason statement along the line. He worked with Dallas Cowboys pass rush consultant Brandon Jordan in late June, then showed up at the Sack Summit in Las Vegas with Maxx Crosby and other NFL veterans. New defensive coordinator Gary Patterson gets a more polished pass rusher because of it, and Stewart should be more than just a run-stopper after getting his feet wet as a true freshman.
Newby is another player with a real opening. This is a critical third season for the Connecticut native, especially in a Patterson system that often suits tall, speedy linebackers.
Desman Stephens II is expected to lead the room, and Washington transfer Deven Bryant showed he could thrive outside his 5-11 frame in the Big Ten. Still, Patterson may want a third linebacker at times, and Newby has the quickness to step into that role and close off angles.
The secondary also has a clear breakout candidate in Williams. USC needs a ballhawk in Patterson’s 4-2-5, and Williams fits the description.
He built his reputation as a takeaway artist in Ames, Iowa, and he brings five career interceptions with him. His quick feet and smooth hip transitions help him stay attached to receivers, though his stiff hips limit him in press coverage.
Even so, Patterson should know how to deploy him, especially against Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana’s deep receiver groups.
In Other News...
USCs Top Freshman Is Already Getting The Welcome Fans Wanted
Luke Wafle is already getting a taste of what comes with being USCs highest-profile freshman, and it is happening well before he takes a snap in cardinal and gold. The five-star defensive end, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class, took part in the Sack Summit event hosted by NFL players, where he crossed paths with former Trojan linebacker Willie McGinest and got another reminder of the standard that comes with wearing the USC name.
McGinest also had reason to talk up the programs momentum, from the new Bloom Football Performance Center to the recruiting haul that gave USC its largest class in program history. Wafle and McGinest even touched on the Trojans 2026 slate, which already looks like a demanding one, and that is part of what makes this early welcome so notable: USC is trying to build something big, and its top freshman is stepping into it with plenty of attention already following him. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley's New Ranking Will Sting USC Fans
USA TODAY Sports latest look at the college football coaching landscape landed with a familiar jolt for USC fans: Lincoln Riley, once viewed as one of the sports elite offensive minds, was not treated like an elite coach in the 2026 rankings. The list put Indianas Curt Cignetti at No. 1 after his rapid rise, while Ohio States Ryan Day checked in at No. 3 and Oregons Dan Lanning landed at No. 5, a reminder of how quickly the sports hierarchy can shift.
For USC, Rileys placement is the part that stings. He arrived in Los Angeles with the kind of reputation that usually keeps a coach near the top of these exercises, but this ranking suggests the national perception has changed after his uneven run with the Trojans. The bigger question now is whether USC can change that conversation on the field, because in a sport this competitive, reputation only travels so far before the next season starts rewriting it. [Read more 🡒]
USC Just Lost Another Key Piece Of Its Baseball Turnaround
USCs baseball rebuild has already been moving at full speed, with a roster churn that includes 16 players entering the transfer portal and 10 new transfers committed. The program is also looking ahead to the long-awaited upgrade at Dedeaux Field, with full access to the new facilities not arriving until the 2027 season, so the Trojans are trying to keep momentum in the present while waiting on the future.
Now there is another layer of uncertainty around the turnaround. Hitting coach and recruiting coordinator Travis Jewett is departing after helping shape the offense and the talent pipeline, and head coach Andy Stankiewicz is still under contract through 2030 as he tries to steady a program that has been changing almost as quickly as it has been improving. With the staff continuing to shift and the roster still being remade, USCs next step feels just as important as the progress it has already made. [Read more 🡒]