Lincoln Riley thinks USC is in a different place defensively now, and he didn’t try to soften the point.
After years of watching elite offense get dragged down by breakdowns on the other side of the ball, Riley said the Trojans finally have more to work with across the roster. He pointed to the mix of returning starters, freshmen and transfer additions as the reason for his confidence heading into the season.
“I do feel differently this year in terms of the quality of players, returning starters, the freshmen, some of the transfers that we've added,” said Riley during Big Ten Media Days. “There's just a ton of competition.
We have a lot of guys on both sides of the line of scrimmage that we feel like we can win with and dominate with. We just do.”
That belief is tied directly to the arrival of Gary Patterson, who stepped in as defensive coordinator in January after being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Riley made it clear Patterson has already changed the tone around the program.
“it's tougher to move the ball in practice,” said Riley at Big Ten Media Day of the difference Patterson is already making. “Coach Patterson is one of one … I've never coached against somebody that I thought was more unique and tougher to go against than Gary.”
Patterson’s résumé explains why USC wanted him in the building. Over 21 seasons at TCU from 2000-2021, he won 181 games, became the school’s all-time winningest coach, led 11 teams to at least 10 victories and directed defenses that finished first nationally in total defense five times.
The Trojans are also bringing back six defensive starters and adding more talent through high school recruiting and the transfer portal, which is part of why Riley says this group feels more complete than the ones before it.
“I certainly will give you what has changed, is I do believe we're more equipped than at any point in the previous few years,” Riley said. “That's not a hope or a wish. Those are facts, and there's a lot of facts to back that up.”
That confidence comes after a stretch where USC’s defense has been the program’s biggest problem. The Trojans finished outside the top 90 nationally in scoring defense in 2022, then outside the top 120 in both scoring and total defense in 2023 before making progress over the past two seasons under D'Anton Lynn.
Even with that improvement, one issue kept showing up in 2025: the run defense away from home.
“We did not stop the run enough on the road,” said Riley of the Trojans' 2025 defensive performance.
The numbers back him up. USC gave up 121.3 rushing yards per game at home, but that jumped to 168.8 on the road and at neutral sites. Opponents averaged 4.63 yards per carry away from Los Angeles, compared with 4.06 at home.
The problem got worse in USC’s four losses, when opponents ran for 193.3 yards per game at 5.12 yards per carry and scored 10 rushing touchdowns.
That’s the kind of weakness Patterson was brought in to fix. His reputation was built on physical, disciplined defenses at TCU, and USC is betting that profile can help turn a long-standing liability into something much sturdier.
The impact is already being felt beyond the defensive room. USC defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren said Patterson’s presence has changed the mindset around the program.
“He's in the Hall of Fame for a reason. He could have stayed retired, could have kept golfing, but he came back because he loves the game and he wants to win,” said USC defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren. “He's told us many times, he didn’t come back for anything but to win.”
Quarterback Jayden Maiava has noticed it too, and he likes what Patterson’s scheme is doing for the offense in practice.
"Credit to GP (Gary Patterson). He just sets the standard, and he sets the mindset and the mentality that he wants for his defense, and everybody's along, and everybody's on the same page,” said Maiava.
“It was really cool going against him during spring. I'm really excited for that to be showcased on Saturdays."
That daily work matters for Maiava, who threw for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2025 but also had 10 interceptions. Facing Patterson’s disguises, late safety rotations and pre-snap pressure every day should force him to process faster before USC gets into the thick of its schedule.
And the schedule is no joke. ESPN’s Football Power Index has USC with the 19th-toughest strength of schedule in the country, with Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Washington all on the slate.
Riley has spent the past year building a roster he believes can compete with anybody. Now he’s leaning on Patterson to make sure the defense finally matches the rest of it.
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