USC’s defense has spent the first month of Big Ten play looking far too familiar, and not in a good way.
The Trojans were gashed for 460 yards and 35 points by Rutgers, then followed that up by surrendering 504 yards and 41 points to Oregon. For a unit that has been stuck in the same cycle for years, the latest collapse only reinforced the bigger problem: this is not a one-game issue, and it’s not even a one-season issue.
That reality stretches back through Lincoln Riley’s entire run in Los Angeles, where the defense has repeatedly undone the offense’s work. It also reaches beyond USC.
The same kinds of breakdowns showed up during Riley’s time at Oklahoma, starting in 2017. Five years and three defensive coordinators later, the Trojans are still trying to solve the same puzzle.
So if there’s going to be any sort of reset, it has to start now, with Washington coming to town on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Against Oregon, one of the few encouraging signs came from defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart. The sophomore made his season debut after re-injuring the same foot that bothered him throughout his Freshman All-American season and required surgery last December.
Stewart played 34 defensive snaps, helped in part by the injury to defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren, but the workload also made clear USC plans to let him go without restrictions. He wasted little time making an impact, finishing with two tackles for loss.
That kind of presence matters because the Trojans do not have the luxury of fixing everything at once. There are too many holes on this defense for a full repair in one season. But a disruptive interior defensive end can still change the temperature of the unit, and USC badly needs that kind of spark after a brutal opening month.
Stewart arrived as one of the top prizes in the 2025 recruiting class, and his path has already been marked by setbacks. Even so, he has kept working back into form and into a role where he can make real noise.
Last season, the more snaps he took after missing his entire final year of high school football because of transfer rules, the better he looked. Now he’s back with a full year of college football behind him, and that experience should only help.
At 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds, the New Orleans native has the frame to become a premier defensive lineman in college football. He has already shown enough flashes to suggest that ceiling is real.
Luke Wafle, the five-star freshman defensive end, still does not have a sack, but he has been USC’s most reliable front-line run defender. He and Stewart are two of the youngest players in the room, yet they are also the foundation of whatever toughness this defense can find.
That pairing was one of the more intriguing ideas entering the season. Now, with Stewart back in the mix, it finally has a chance to matter.
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USCs Washington Showdown Just Got More Personal For One Trojans Starter
The No. 18 Trojans are getting ready for a primetime meeting with Washington at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and it already has the feel of a game with a little extra edge. It will be the first time the programs have met since 2024, and the matchup brings back familiar names on both sides as USC tries to handle a Huskies team that coach Kalen DeBoer has already described as a difficult one to slow down.
For one USC starter, though, this one carries a more personal twist because of Washingtons reaction to former linebacker Deven Bryants move to the Trojans. That subplot sits alongside the bigger challenge of dealing with Demond Williams Jr. and Dezman Roebuck, two Washington weapons expected to drive the offense in a game that could tell plenty about where USC stands in the conference race. [Read more 🡒]
USC Must Rework Its Linebackers At The Worst Possible Time
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Riley addressed the situation in a Sept. 28 media appearance, pointing to the need for depth and better execution as USC prepares for the stretch ahead. The timing is hardly ideal, since the Trojans are trying to stabilize after a matchup that featured several key moments and now have to find a workable answer at linebacker before the next one arrives. [Read more 🡒]
USC Freshman Tron Baker Shares What Hit Him Hardest Early
Freshman wide receiver Ja'Myron "Tron" Baker has already found a niche for USC, even as he works through the usual learning curve that comes with the jump to college football. Through five games, he has eight catches for 111 yards and has also chipped in as a blocker, a sign that the Trojans are trusting him to handle more than just the obvious passing-game duties while he gets comfortable in the offense.
Baker has also leaned on the veterans around him as he adjusts to the speed and physicality of the college game. For USC, that sort of early buy-in matters even more this week as the Trojans try to regroup in Week 5 after the loss to Oregon, with young players like Baker continuing to settle into roles that could matter down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]