USC’s transfer class is already showing why Lincoln Riley leaned so hard into the portal this offseason.
As the Trojans move into the second week of fall camp and keep building toward their Week Zero opener against San Jose State, two newcomers have started to separate themselves: Michigan State defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren and former NC State receiver Terrell Anderson. Both were brought in to help USC in 2026, and both are already drawing attention on a roster that’s loaded with returning experience, a No. 1 recruiting class and big expectations.
Riley made no secret of how he views this team at Big Ten Media Days, saying, "I do feel differently this year in terms of the quality of players, returning starters, the freshmen, some of the transfers that we've added,” Riley said ahead of fall camp at Big Ten Media Days. "I do believe we're more equipped than at any point in the previous few years.
That's not a hope or a wish. Those are facts."
VanSumeren looks like one of the clearest examples of that added maturity. He was one of just three USC student-athletes sent to Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, and the only incoming transfer in that group, joining Jayden Maiava and defensive lineman Jide Abasiri. That kind of early spotlight says plenty about the trust Riley already has in him.
Riley also singled out what makes VanSumeren valuable.
"Alex VanSumeren [was] one of the guys we identified once he jumped in the portal in terms of not only his experience, but his play style and his leadership capability," Riley said at Big Ten Media Days. “Having a leader or bell cow that has experience and that type of mentality that Alex does is very, very key.”
The numbers back up why USC wanted him. VanSumeren has played in 28 career games and started 24 straight Big Ten contests during his time at Michigan State.
He also finished 2025 with 52 total tackles. For a USC defense that was gashed on the ground in its four losses last season, allowing 193.3 rushing yards per game, that kind of steadiness matters.
His teammates are noticing, too.
“We got a player like Alex VanSumeren,” junior defensive end Kameryn Crawford said. “He’s a great leader, a great guy who has experience, who knows schemes. Him being in there and everybody else, it brings everybody together, and everybody knows we got the one mindset for us to be the dominant force.”
Sophomore defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart had similar praise.
“He got a tough mindset,” Stewart said. “I got that person next to me I really could trust.
Alex is one of the ones you really got to pick his brain because he’s gonna give you the game. He knows a lot of football.“
On the other side of the ball, Anderson has been making noise of his own. USC rated him as the highest-rated overall transfer in its 2026 portal class, and he’s already carving out a visible role in practice. At 6-3 and 204 pounds, he gives Maiava a bigger target who can win in traffic and threaten defenses vertically.
That profile feels especially useful with USC replacing NFL departures Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane. Anderson also adds Power Four experience to a receiver room that includes freshmen Ethan "Boobie" Feaster, Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, giving the Trojans another proven option while those younger wideouts develop.
Inside receivers coach and pass game coordinator Chad Savage pointed to Anderson’s versatility when talking about what he brings.
"He's an experienced player and adds value to the special teams game. He's a return guy who can help.
But he's got opportunities to stretch the field and help you in the quick game," Savage told USC Trojans on SI. "He's a good blocker on the perimeter too.
He's got some good traits."
USC still has plenty to sort out before the opener, but VanSumeren and Anderson are already giving the Trojans an early look at what this portal class can add.
In Other News...
USC's 2026 Hopes May Hinge On Gary Patterson's Biggest Fix
USCs move to bring in Gary Patterson as defensive coordinator gives the program a veteran voice with a track record of organizing and tightening up a unit. It is his first full-time on-field role since 2021, and for the Trojans, the hire is less about nostalgia than necessity. In a Big Ten race that has started to feel like a coaching arms race, USC is betting that Patterson can help change the trajectory on that side of the ball.
The timing matters because Ohio State has also adjusted its staff, adding Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator after a strong defensive run in 2025. Those kinds of coordinator moves can ripple quickly into the next season, especially when teams are trying to keep pace in a conference that punishes any lag in development. For USC, the question now is whether Pattersons biggest fix arrives fast enough to matter in 2026. [Read more 🡒]
USC Just Got An Early Sign About Its 2026 Offense
USC got an early reminder this week that the spotlight on its 2026 offense will be intense, with quarterback Jayden Maiava and running back Waymond Jordan both landing on the Maxwell Award watch list. For Maiava, it adds to a growing stack of preseason recognition after a string of honors and nominations, a sign that his profile is rising as the Trojans head into a season with real expectations on that side of the ball.
Jordans inclusion is just as notable for a different reason. After a season-ending injury in 2025, his return gives USC another proven piece to build around, and his presence on the watch list suggests outside evaluators still see him as a player who can shape this offense right away. The Trojans open the 2026 season Aug. 29 against San Jose State, and the early attention on Maiava and Jordan hints that the conversation around USC may start well before then. [Read more 🡒]
USC Fans Got A Mixed Early Camp Picture On Two Rookie Receivers
USC fans got an early reminder of how quickly the next wave of former Trojans can make noise in the NFL. Ja'Kobi Lane has been turning heads in Ravens training camp, with a string of notable plays and plenty of attention from reporters after the third-round pick out of USC opened his pro career with the kind of flashes that tend to travel fast back to Los Angeles.
Makai Lemon, meanwhile, has had a slower start to camp with the Eagles. The first-round pick has missed several practices because of a hamstring injury, though Philadelphias offensive coordinator said Lemon is still staying engaged in his rehab. For USC supporters, it is a split-screen update on two rookie receivers who were part of the same program but are already taking very different early paths as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]