USC didn’t leave the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with the result it wanted against Oregon on Saturday night, but the Trojans did get a clear reminder of how much juice their young receiver group can bring.
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt was the headline act. The true freshman kept showing up for quarterback Jayden Maiava, and he was USC’s most reliable weapon in the first half.
Dixon-Wyatt hauled in five catches for 88 yards before intermission, then added a 31-yard touchdown in the second quarter. By the end of the night, he had seven receptions for 114 yards, giving him his second 100-yard game in just his fifth collegiate game.
The Mater Dei product has wasted no time making himself at home in Lincoln Riley’s offense. He was a day-one starter next to Trent Mosley, who drew the early attention as the freshman wideout making plays on offense and special teams. With Mosley out of the lineup, Dixon-Wyatt has moved into an even larger role, and Maiava clearly trusts him early and often.
That trust has been obvious from the jump. Dixon-Wyatt came into college with big-stage experience from his time at the Orange County powerhouse, and the transition has looked smooth because of how polished he already is. At this point, he’s not just a player on the rise - he’s already operating like one of USC’s best answers on offense.
USC also had to lean on more depth than it expected. Simms went down last week against Rutgers with a significant knee injury, and Mosley is out for an extended period of time, leaving Maiava without two of the three starters. Still, receiver remains one of the deepest units on the roster.
Terrell Anderson was part of that next wave against Oregon. The NC State transfer was supposed to play a bigger role, but an injury midway through fall camp knocked him out of the first two games and cost him a place in the rotation.
He had played only four snaps against Louisiana in week 2 and none against Rutgers, but USC needed him with so many bodies missing. Anderson’s workload was still limited, yet he made it count with two catches for 50 passes, including gains of 22 and 28 yards.
Tanook Hines also found himself back in the mix. He had won a starting job as a true freshman coming out of fall camp last season and kept it all year, but after missing the entire spring, the first few weeks of fall camp and the season opener, he had slipped out of that spot. Against Oregon, he returned to the starting lineup and delivered an 11-yard touchdown that tied the game at 27 early in the fourth quarter.
There were more freshman flashes, too. Boobie Feaster saw his role expand and came away with an impressive 27-yard catch, a glimpse of the kind of upside USC wants to keep unlocking. Zacharyus Williams filled in for Mosley in the slot and finished with two catches for 37 yards, while freshman Tron Baker added two receptions for 27 yards.
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