USC brought back a ton of experience, with 15 starters returning from last season, but Lincoln Riley still went into the transfer portal looking for players who can step in and matter right away. If the Trojans are going to stay in the College Football Playoff race in 2026, those additions may need to pay off fast.
The biggest offensive addition is former NC State wide receiver Terrell Anderson, who gives USC a bigger target at 6-2, 200 pounds. Anderson caught 39 passes for 629 yards and 5 touchdowns for the Wolfpack in 2025, and he arrives at a time when Jayden Maiava has to replace top receivers Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane, both now in the NFL. That makes Anderson’s role especially important for an offense that also expects Tanook Hines to lead the receiver group, while freshmen Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Trent Mosley could get involved early too.
USC’s receiver room does not have the same depth or proven production it has had in past Riley teams, so Anderson should bring a little more stability to the passing game.
On the defensive side, Alex VanSumeren looks like another transfer who can help immediately. The former Michigan State lineman was invited to Big Ten Media Days with Riley, Maiava, and USC defensive lineman Jide Abasiri, a sign of how quickly he has become part of the conversation around the program. VanSumeren posted 52 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 2.0 sacks in 2025 with the Spartans, and that kind of run-stopping presence should matter for a Trojans front that already brings back Jahkeem Stewart and Jamaal Jarrett.
USC also added former Iowa State defensive back Jontez Williams, who is working back from an ACL tear suffered in September of 2025. When he returns, he should be in the mix for a major role in the secondary.
The cornerback competition includes Chasen Johnson, Marcelles Williams, and Elbert Hill, but USC clearly brought Williams in with a purpose. In 2024, he had 4 interceptions, 5 pass breakups, and 46 total tackles.
Another transfer with experience is tight end Tucker Ashcraft, who spent three seasons at Wisconsin. Injuries limited him to only 4 games in 2025, and he also missed time with USC in the spring, so his debut could take a while.
Still, his value is obvious: he can block in the run game and catch passes, which gives Maiava another useful option. The tight end room is still hard to read heading into 2026, with Ashcraft joining five-star recruit Mark Bowman, plus Walter Matthews and Josiah Jefferson already on the roster.
USC’s final transfer who could make a real difference is former Washington linebacker Deven Bryant, who fits a need in the middle of Gary Patterson’s defense. Bryant had a breakout year for the Huskies in 2025, finishing with 63 combined tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 2 pass breakups. That kind of tackling production should help the Trojans against the run, where every stop will matter if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.
In Other News...
USCs Top Freshman Is Already Getting The Welcome Fans Wanted
Luke Wafle is already getting a taste of what comes with being USCs highest-profile freshman, and it is happening well before he takes a snap in cardinal and gold. The five-star defensive end, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class, took part in the Sack Summit event hosted by NFL players, where he crossed paths with former Trojan linebacker Willie McGinest and got another reminder of the standard that comes with wearing the USC name.
McGinest also had reason to talk up the programs momentum, from the new Bloom Football Performance Center to the recruiting haul that gave USC its largest class in program history. Wafle and McGinest even touched on the Trojans 2026 slate, which already looks like a demanding one, and that is part of what makes this early welcome so notable: USC is trying to build something big, and its top freshman is stepping into it with plenty of attention already following him. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley's New Ranking Will Sting USC Fans
USA TODAY Sports latest look at the college football coaching landscape landed with a familiar jolt for USC fans: Lincoln Riley, once viewed as one of the sports elite offensive minds, was not treated like an elite coach in the 2026 rankings. The list put Indianas Curt Cignetti at No. 1 after his rapid rise, while Ohio States Ryan Day checked in at No. 3 and Oregons Dan Lanning landed at No. 5, a reminder of how quickly the sports hierarchy can shift.
For USC, Rileys placement is the part that stings. He arrived in Los Angeles with the kind of reputation that usually keeps a coach near the top of these exercises, but this ranking suggests the national perception has changed after his uneven run with the Trojans. The bigger question now is whether USC can change that conversation on the field, because in a sport this competitive, reputation only travels so far before the next season starts rewriting it. [Read more 🡒]
USC Just Lost Another Key Piece Of Its Baseball Turnaround
USCs baseball rebuild has already been moving at full speed, with a roster churn that includes 16 players entering the transfer portal and 10 new transfers committed. The program is also looking ahead to the long-awaited upgrade at Dedeaux Field, with full access to the new facilities not arriving until the 2027 season, so the Trojans are trying to keep momentum in the present while waiting on the future.
Now there is another layer of uncertainty around the turnaround. Hitting coach and recruiting coordinator Travis Jewett is departing after helping shape the offense and the talent pipeline, and head coach Andy Stankiewicz is still under contract through 2030 as he tries to steady a program that has been changing almost as quickly as it has been improving. With the staff continuing to shift and the roster still being remade, USCs next step feels just as important as the progress it has already made. [Read more 🡒]