USC enters Lincoln Riley’s fifth season with the same goal that has hovered over the program for years: get to the College Football Playoff for the first time. And heading into 2026, the Trojans have enough pieces to at least make that conversation real.
The biggest reason for the optimism is simple. USC brings back star quarterback Jayden Maiava, has a talented offense, and added Gary Patterson as defensive coordinator. That combination gives the Trojans a profile worth watching closely as the season approaches.
CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford put USC among a group of teams with rosters that deserve a second look in the CFP race. The Trojans were listed alongside LSU, Texas Tech, Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Four of those five teams reached the playoff last season, and Alabama was the one that won a playoff game.
For USC, even getting into the bracket and winning once would count as a major step forward after the first four years of Riley’s tenure. The Trojans have had their moments under Riley, but they have also fallen short of the playoff twice.
Last season ended at 9-3, with all three losses coming on the road against Illinois, Notre Dame and Oregon. Defense was the common thread in those defeats. USC gave up more than 30 points in each game, and the Notre Dame loss in South Bend stood out in particular, with Jeremiyah Love rushing for 228 yards and a touchdown.
That’s why the defensive makeover matters so much this fall. USC will host Oregon and Ohio State at the Coliseum, while also going on the road for marquee games at Indiana and Penn State. Those four matchups loom large, and the Trojans’ defensive performance in them could decide whether the CFP dream becomes reality.
Patterson arrives with the expectation of giving USC a tougher edge and a clearer identity on that side of the ball. If that happens, the Trojans have a chance to change the story.
Maiava is expected to be right at the center of it. He’s coming off a season in which he led the Big Ten in passing with 3,711 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. If he can trim the turnovers in the biggest spots, he could push himself into the conversation as an underrated Heisman Trophy contender.
The betting market sees USC as a real player, too. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Trojans at +420 to make the CFP, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten behind Oregon (-180), Indiana (-175) and Ohio State (-175).
Can Maiava be the quarterback who finally gets USC over the line? That’s the question hanging over the Trojans as 2026 approaches.
In Other News...
USC Recruiting Update Just Sparked A Bigger 2027 Class Debate
The latest Rivals300 update for the 2027 cycle gave USCs class another round of movement, with five-star defensive end Mekai Brown landing at No. 18 nationally and staying among the elite names in the group. He was not the only commit to benefit from the refresh, either, as offensive lineman Drew Fielder and defensive lineman Tolo Tuihalamaka climbed, while tight end Jace Cannon moved into the Rivals300 after earning his fourth star.
Even with that talent still in place, USCs 2027 class has slipped to No. 13 nationally as other programs have stacked bigger commitment runs. The Trojans still have plenty of runway before signing day, and the bigger question now is whether this group can keep adding the kind of high-end pieces that can push it back toward the top tier. [Read more 🡒]
Terrell Anderson Drawing Real Buzz As USC Eyes Another Big Receiver Reload
USC has spent the last few cycles building and rebuilding its receiver room, and Terrell Anderson looks like the latest addition with a chance to matter quickly. The North Carolina State transfer is headed to Los Angeles for the 2026 season, and the early buzz around him is real enough that On3 has him slotted among the Big Ten's top incoming transfers. For a program that lives on explosive passing-game talent, Anderson fits the familiar Lincoln Riley mold as another receiver with a chance to thrive in a system that tends to showcase skill players fast.
Ari Wasserman recently pointed to Anderson as a name to watch for a breakout season, and the fit is easy to see from USC's side. The Trojans need more answers at receiver after departures to the NFL, and Anderson is expected to help fill that void as a downfield option and a player who can create after the catch. If the transition goes the way USC hopes, he could end up being more than just another transfer addition in a room that has become central to the program's identity. [Read more 🡒]
Five-Star USC Commit Weighs In On A Class Fans Keep Debating
USCs 2027 recruiting class already has a different look than the oversized hauls fans sometimes expect, but the Trojans have been leaning into quality and local reach with 14 commitments in the fold. The group is headlined by five-star athlete Honor Faalave-Johnson, the No. 12 overall prospect and top athlete in Rivals rankings, and he has become one of the clearest examples of the staffs plan to build around versatile, high-end talent from California.
Faalave-Johnson has also offered his own read on the class, and it tracks with the way USC has been assembling it: not necessarily huge, but stocked with players who fit and cover important spots. He is expected to help on both sides of the ball, primarily at safety while also giving the offense options, and his view of the class adds another layer to the ongoing debate among fans about whether the Trojans are prioritizing star power, balance, or simply the right pieces in the right places. [Read more 🡒]