USC’s locker room has become one of the clearest signs that the Trojans believe they’re building something sturdier than just a good season.
A year after a major cultural reset began, the program is still leaning into the same themes: accountability, buy-in and a tighter bond between players. Former tight end Lake McRee called last season the closest team he had been part of in five years at Southern Cal, and former linebacker Eric Gentry said something similar in his fifth and final season.
That shift showed up in real time too, with junior defensive back Kameryn Crawford revealing after USC’s upset of then-No. 15 Michigan in early October that players had been making each other run sprints and do up downs for blown assignments.
That kind of internal pressure has only grown heading into 2026.
“It’s as close of a locker room as I’ve ever seen,” said sixth-year senior quarterback Sam Huard.
The Trojans are nearing the end of summer workouts under strength and conditioning coach Trumain Carroll, with fall camp set to begin next week. On Wednesday morning, they took “Competition Wednesday” to Hermosa Beach, where they ran drills and played dodgeball in front of USC fans.
Senior defensive end Braylan Shelby said the work this offseason has made the group stronger in every direction.
“You think they can get even better from last year and they did,” said senior defensive end Braylan Shelby. “The amount of work that we put in this year from Coach Tru and the whole staff was amazing.
The lifting, the running, and bringing the connection together between the whole team was really amazing. You can see that right now, especially at the beach too because all of us competing and thriving, just having a great time together.”
Huard said the summer has reinforced that the Trojans are where they need to be as the season nears.
“I just think how much they've pushed the leadership from within and how many guys on the team have stepped up this summer and the way we've worked and grown as a team, we're excited and right where we need to be,” Huard said.
There’s also a fresh wave coming behind them. USC signed 34 players in the 2026 class, becoming the first non-SEC school in nearly two decades to finish with the No. 1 class.
That haul didn’t happen by accident. General manager Chad Bowden arrived in January of last year, and the program moved quickly after that. Bowden also put a new recruiting rule in place: once a player commits, he can no longer visit other schools.
The commits stayed close to the program throughout the process. They were on campus regularly in the spring, worked out with coaches in the summer and kept building familiarity with the team.
In the fall, they used game days to deepen those relationships with current players. By the time the class arrived on campus in January, nothing felt new.
Everything was built with that in mind, so the freshmen could arrive ready to go.
Receiver Boobie Feaster was one of two freshmen who didn’t get to campus until late May, but he still spent plenty of time around the program. The Texas native made three separate trips to USC in the spring and attended four practices. He sat in meetings and received treatment from the training staff, doing everything except taking part in practice.
Now the focus turns to the season itself. It’s year five of the Lincoln Riley era, and the pressure in Los Angeles is building for USC to make its first-ever College Football Playoff.
The Trojans open against San Jose State on Aug. 29, and they’ll do it with their toughest schedule since joining the Big Ten three years ago. But inside the building, that can’t be the excuse. After a nine-win season a year ago, everyone knows the standard has to show up in the results this fall.
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USC Fall Camp Opens With One Position Battle Looming Over Everything
USCs fall camp opens with the roster in a familiar place for a program trying to climb back toward the top: plenty of talent, plenty of new faces, and more than a few jobs still up for grabs. The Trojans have mixed proven returners like linebacker Desman Stephens II and defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart with additions such as linebacker Deven Bryant and tight end Tucker Ashcraft, giving the staff a deeper look at several spots that could shape the season.
The most intriguing part of camp may be how quickly the younger players force their way into the conversation, especially at tight end, wide receiver and in the secondary. Mark Bowman brings the kind of buzz that can change a room early, while USC will also be sorting out how its receiver and cornerback groups settle in behind the top names. For a team with real depth questions and a few potential breakout players, the first stretch of camp should reveal which position battle matters most. [Read more 🡒]
USCs 2026 Run Game Suddenly Hinges On One Troubling Question
Waymond Jordan was already positioned to be the centerpiece of USCs rushing attack in 2026 before the injury against Michigan changed the conversation around him. Even after a limited spring because of a procedure, he still looks like the most dynamic back on the roster and one of the more important leaders in the room, which is why the Trojans have spent so much time thinking about what the offense looks like with him at full strength.
King Miller is the next name up if Jordan is not available, with Riley Wormley, Deshonne Redeaux and Shahn Alston also in the mix behind him. USC has enough bodies to keep the backfield moving, but the bigger question is whether any of them can match the steadiness Jordan has already shown in the situations that matter most. [Read more 🡒]
USC Legends Are Surrounding This Program And Recruits Can Feel It
USCs recruiting pitch has always leaned on tradition, but this spring and summer it has felt more tangible than nostalgic. Former Trojans such as Marcus Allen, Willie McGinest, Mike Williams and Ronnie Lott have not just been name-dropped around the program, they have shown up, sat in on games, spoken to recruits on official visits and taken part in team events. For current players and visitors, that means the history is not sitting in a trophy case somewhere. It is walking the sideline, shaking hands and reinforcing what it means to wear the jersey.
The effect matters because recruits notice who is around when they are being asked to imagine their next three or four years. Allen, McGinest and Lott have each had chances to connect with young players, while recent USC stars have also been visible around offseason work and spring practice, adding another layer to the message. For a program trying to keep its momentum in recruiting, the presence of so many familiar faces gives the pitch extra weight, and it is part of why the Trojans can sell more than a depth chart and a facility tour. [Read more 🡒]