USC’s 39-0 rout of Fresno State on Friday night drew more than just Trojan faithful to the Coliseum. NFL scouts showed up too, with five franchises sending representatives to watch the matchup in person.
The Los Angeles Chargers had the heaviest presence, with two people on hand. That makes sense given the current USC tie to edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu, along with the franchise history shared with the late Junior Seau, one of the most revered names in Trojans lore.
Miami sent one scout to Los Angeles for the non-conference game. The Dolphins have their own USC connections through Austin Jackson, the former first-round tackle who went No. 18 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, as well as guard Jarrett Kingston.
Seattle also had one scout in the Otis Booth Press Box. The Seahawks’ USC list is a long one, featuring quarterback Sam Darnold, edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu, defensive tackle Brandon Pili and edge rusher Leonard Williams.
Green Bay was represented by one scout as well. The Packers currently roster former Trojan running back MarShawn Lloyd, and USC fans still remember linebacker Clay Matthews helping lead the franchise to its last Vince Lombardi trophy in the 2010 season.
Pittsburgh rounded out the group with one scout from the Steel City. The Steelers will feed the ball to USC legend Michael Pittman II this fall, and the franchise also shares a deep link to safety Troy Polamalu, whose Hall of Fame run included two Super Bowl wins.
The scouts got a strong look at USC quarterback Jayden Maiava, who is expected to keep drawing attention from NFL teams throughout the 2026 season. The right-handed passer showed off the arm strength that already has people interested, but he also backed it up with accuracy and poise in his season three under Lincoln Riley. Against Fresno State, Maiava went 23-of-25 for 349 yards and three touchdowns.
USC’s defense made its own impression. Defensive tackle Jide Abasiri brought constant disruption with his first-step burst and motor, and that showed up on a safety against Fresno State quarterback Jayden Mandal.
Safety Kennedy Urlacher also stood out. The son of former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher played aggressively as a blitzer for defensive coordinator Gary Patterson and was involved in one of the two-point safeties.
Friday’s turnout probably won’t be the last NFL-heavy crowd USC sees at home this season. No.
2 Oregon comes to the Coliseum on Sept. 26, and No. 1 Ohio State arrives on Oct. 31, two games that could bring even more scouts into the press box.
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Mosleys emergence has helped soften some of the attention on a defense that has also been getting useful early contributions from young players. Nickel Kennedy Urlacher, Alex Graham and Jide Abasiri have each shown up in recent games, giving USC signs that some of its younger defenders are beginning to settle in and play meaningful snaps when the Trojans need them most. [Read more 🡒]
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Lincoln Riley Sees Real USC Progress Fans Will Still Debate
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Lincoln Riley liked what he saw from the offense and the back end of the defense, and he made it clear the improvement was not just about piling up a lopsided result. Even with the decisive victory, USC still has details to sort out, and the question for fans is whether this was the first real step forward or simply the kind of early-season performance that needs to be repeated before anyone fully buys in. [Read more 🡒]