USC enters the season with a familiar number next to its name: No. 14.
The Trojans landed at No. 14 in the Associated Press preseason top 25, matching their No. 14 spot in the US LBM Coaches Poll that came out two weeks ago. Their opener is less than two weeks away, with USC set to start the year against San Jose State on Aug. 29.
The AP ranking places USC among eight Big Ten teams in the first poll, with the conference landing three of the top six teams and four straight slots beginning with the Trojans at No. 14, tied with BYU. Iowa is the only other Big Ten team in the 20s at No. 22, while two more conference teams are listed in the “others receiving votes” group - the same place USC started last season.
That was a very different climb.
USC finished the 2025 campaign at No. 20 in the media poll after spending the early part of the season outside the rankings. The Trojans first appeared at No. 25 in Week 4 while sitting at 3-0, then moved up to No. 21 the next week before a last-second loss at Illinois sent them back out. They returned in Week 8 at No. 21 with a 5-1 record, only to disappear again after a loss at Notre Dame.
The rankings kept coming and going with each setback. USC re-entered at No. 23 in Week 10 at 5-2, climbed three spots in back-to-back weeks, then rose again to No. 16 after getting to 8-2. A loss at Oregon knocked them down to No. 19, they moved back to No. 16 to close the regular season and conference championships, and then fell to No. 20 after losing to TCU in the Alamo Bowl.
This time around, the Trojans arrive with bigger expectations and a roster built to support them. USC kept most of its key players and invested heavily along the line of scrimmage over the last two recruiting cycles. Fifth-year senior quarterback Jayden Maiava is back to direct Lincoln Riley’s offense as a third-year starter, and Hall of Famer Gary Patterson is back on the sideline as a defensive coordinator.
Maiava earned All-Big Ten third-team honors last season while leading an offense that ranked No. 8 nationally with 465.5 yards per game. That unit averaged 296 yards through the air, good for No. 5 in the country.
The schedule will tell the real story. USC has five teams ranked inside the top 18 of the preseason poll on the slate, including three of the top six.
No. 1 Ohio State and No.
2 Oregon both come to the Coliseum, while USC also travels to No. 6 Indiana in what will be its first trip to Bloomington since 1981.
The other heavyweight dates are just as demanding. USC will host No.
17 Washington at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and visit No. 18 Penn State in what is expected to be the Nittany Lions’ annual white out game.
It has been 18 years since Ohio State played in the Coliseum, and seven years since Oregon faced USC in a regular-season game in Los Angeles.
In Other News...
USC Just Added A Big Ten Edge Fans Will Notice
USCs latest offseason upgrade is no longer just a rendering or a talking point. The Trojans officially opened the three-story Bloom Football Performance Center, a $225 million addition built to give the program a sharper edge in player performance and recovery, with fall camp already offering a first look at how the space can change the daily routine around the team.
Inside, the facility leans hard into the modern football arms race, with float beds, infrared therapy beds and AI-powered massage chairs among the recovery tools now available to players. It also gives media and recruits better practice viewing areas, and early feedback from players and coaches has been positive, with the new setup already drawing attention for the way it supports training and recovery. [Read more 🡒]
USC Fall Camp Is Forcing Some Big Early Lineup Decisions
With more than two weeks of fall camp in the books, USC is starting to sort through the kinds of lineup questions that can shape an entire season before the opener ever arrives. The Trojans are already adjusting on the offensive line after an injury altered the depth chart, and Tobias Raymonds move to center has become a central part of how the unit is being reworked as the team gets ready for San Jos State.
Elsewhere, the staff is still trying to balance proven pieces with a wave of younger talent that looks ready to matter right away. Receivers Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, tight end Mark Bowman and defensive end Luke Wafle are all expected to have roles, and Dixon-Wyatts camp buzz only adds to the sense that USCs first few weeks will say plenty about how quickly this roster can settle in around its new pieces. [Read more 🡒]
USC May Have A New Secondary Piece Gary Patterson Loves
Gary Patterson has built a reputation for bringing along defensive backs, and USC is again giving him a young piece with plenty to work with. True freshman Graham has been getting reps at both nickel and safety, a sign the staff sees more than just a depth option, and he has also been learning alongside veteran safeties Prophet Brown and Christian Pierce as he continues settling into the program.
The bigger picture for USC is the way Grahams growth fits into the secondary picture heading into his second year. He is already in the mix for the starting nickel role, while also helping the Trojans bring along the 2026 recruiting class, which says plenty about how quickly he has earned trust inside the room. For a defense looking to keep building under Patterson, his progression is one of those small but meaningful developments worth watching. [Read more 🡒]