USC enters the 2026 season with the same goal that has hovered over Lincoln Riley’s tenure from the start: get to the College Football Playoff.
The Trojans have been knocking on that door before. Riley has guided USC for four seasons, and the playoff has still eluded the program twice, including a 9-3 finish last year that came with a 7-2 mark in Big Ten play. Now, with a roster that brings back major pieces on both sides of the ball, the expectation is that this could finally be the year USC breaks through.
A big reason for that optimism is quarterback Jayden Maiava. With Maiava back, USC has the kind of offensive centerpiece that can keep it in the playoff conversation, and the Trojans’ defense will also be under the spotlight with new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson in place. The combination has put USC squarely on the radar as one of the teams capable of making a first-ever CFP appearance this season.
That view was echoed by Daire Gallagher of Pro Football Focus, who included USC on a list of eight teams that could reach the playoff for the first time. The other programs on that list are the BYU Cougars, Louisville Cardinals, Florida Gators, Missouri Tigers, Utah Utes, Houston Cougars, and Navy Midshipmen.
Several of those teams have been close before, especially BYU, Florida, and Utah, which have all spent recent seasons on the edge of a playoff breakthrough.
For USC, the path is clear but unforgiving. The Trojans went unbeaten at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum last season, but that kind of home comfort won’t be enough on its own this time around.
Two major home matchups loom on the schedule: Oregon on Sept. 26 and Ohio State on Oct. 31.
Those games could go a long way in shaping USC’s playoff case. So could the two road tests against Penn State on Oct. 10 and Indiana on Nov. 14.
Road play has been the Trojans’ problem area before, and last season made that plain. All three of USC’s regular-season losses came away from home, against Illinois, Notre Dame, and Oregon.
Maiava’s numbers from his first full season as the starter help explain why there is so much buzz around him. He led the Big Ten in passing with 3,711 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, and his 89.9 was the country’s second-best.
That production has also pushed Maiava into the Heisman conversation. He is being viewed as a sleeper candidate to become the first USC quarterback to win the award since Caleb Williams in 2022, though his standing will ultimately depend on how he handles the Trojans’ biggest games.
FanDuel Sportsbook currently has Maiava tied with LSU’s Sam Leavitt and Oklahoma’s John Mateer at +2500 to win the Heisman Trophy.
In Other News...
Lincoln Riley Just Sent A Major Message About Jayden Maiava
At Big Ten media days, Lincoln Riley made it clear that Jayden Maiava has earned plenty of trust heading into the new season. The USC coach praised the quarterbacks growth since taking over last year, pointing to the kind of steady improvement that can matter just as much as raw talent when a program is trying to settle in at the position.
Maiava was USCs starter last season and helped guide an offense that functioned effectively, which gives Rileys confidence some real backing. The bigger takeaway for the Trojans is that the quarterback conversation already feels far more settled than it did a year ago, with Maiava positioned to open 2026 carrying the full support of the staff behind him. [Read more 🡒]
USC Freshmen Are Already Making Fall Camp Defense Decisions Tougher
USCs young defensive class has already turned spring work into a real fall-camp subplot, with several freshmen making enough of an impression to force the staff to think beyond simple redshirt plans. The group includes linebacker Talanoa Ili, cornerback Elbert Hill, safety Madden Riordan and defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui, all of whom have shown traits that fit what the Trojans want on that side of the ball.
Ili has drawn attention as a linebacker prospect with rare upside, Hill has looked unusually polished in coverage since arriving in January, Riordan has flashed the kind of ball skills that created turnovers in high school, and Topui brings the size and burst that can translate to early snaps up front. None of that guarantees a clean path to playing time, but it does mean USCs coaches are heading into camp with more options than they probably expected, and a few more decisions to make once the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]
USCs New Roster Just Raised Bigger Questions About This Team
USC is only into fall camp, but the first updated roster already tells a story about how much the program has changed since spring. The Trojans have been busy reshaping the board in the offseason, adding 24 players overall, mostly walk-ons, while also bringing in a handful of more notable newcomers through signings and transfers. For a team opening against San Jose State, those kinds of roster updates are more than housekeeping. They are a snapshot of where the staff thinks it has depth, where it needs help, and which bodies are expected to carry more of the load this fall.
The physical changes are just as revealing. Some players have clearly been asked to carry different roles, from offensive linemen and tight ends to defensive linemen and corners, and the new measurements suggest USC is still sorting out how this roster wants to look in August. The most interesting part is not just who arrived, but how many players seem to have changed in ways that could affect the two-deep before the opener even gets here. [Read more 🡒]