A fresh look at USC’s depth chart is doing more than sorting out who starts in Week 3. It’s also shining a light on which Trojans need to turn their snaps into something bigger before the season’s first conference game starts squeezing the rotation.
That pressure is especially real on a defensive line that looks deeper than it has in a long time. USC has young talent waiting and transfers in the mix, so every rep carries weight. Floyd Boucard sits right in the middle of that conversation.
Boucard arrived in 2025 as a four-star recruit and a top-70 player out of Florida. As a freshman, he played in 10 games and finished with nine total tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and two quarterback-hurries. That set up expectations for a bigger leap in 2026, but the opening stretch has been quieter than anyone around the program probably wanted.
Through three games, Boucard has only five total tackles, with three of them coming in Week 0 against San José State, plus a fumble recovery. At 6-3, 315 pounds, he has the size and edge USC wants in the Big Ten, and he has done a decent job of clogging up running lanes. The production, though, has not matched the profile.
The timing hasn’t helped either. Boucard has been on the field during second-half defensive breakdowns, and in Weeks 0 and 2 USC gave up 56 points and 488 yards combined.
For Week 3, Boucard is listed behind Alex VanSumeren on the defensive line. Jide Abasiri is starting next to VanSumeren and has been rolling.
Jahkeem Stewart is behind Abasiri on the depth chart, but he is marked as "Out" on USC's official injury report despite encouraging signs earlier in the week. True freshman Tomuhini "Tom Tom" Topui Jr. also made the final depth chart up front.
That means Boucard could be looking over his shoulder at a few different options. If Gary Patterson wants a different look against Rutgers, Stewart or Topui could get the nod instead. Redshirt-junior Jamaal Jarrett is another name in the mix, along with two members of USC’s 2026 recruiting class: five-star Jaimeon Winfield and four-star Bradeon Jones.
Lincoln Riley has said a lot of different players have gotten chances over the first three weeks, but that could change once conference play begins. If the rotation tightens, Boucard’s job is simple: make the most of the snaps he gets, hold his ground, and create pressure in the backfield.
The same kind of opportunity exists at wide receiver, where injuries and inexperience are opening doors. Riley said on Sept. 16 that Trent Mosley will miss Rutgers but is expected back on Sept. 26 when USC hosts No.
21 Oregon Ducks. NC State transfer Terrell Anderson still has not taken the field, which leaves room for younger receivers to push for more work.
Zacharyus Williams has already started making noise. The redshirt-sophomore looked easy to overlook early, but he has carved out a real big-play role.
He caught three passes for 31 yards in Week 0, then added three more receptions for 41 yards in Week 1. In Week 2, he grabbed his first touchdown of the season on a 44-yard catch, his only reception of the game.
Tanook Hines, who looked like the next man up before Mosley surged, is still working his way into the offense. He has two catches for 18 yards in two games. Williams, by contrast, has given USC something to lean on and needs to keep it going.
At the other starting receiver spot, sophomore Corey Simms is listed “OR” with Hines. Simms has been trending upward with eight receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown through three games, and if he gets the call over Hines, he could see plenty of targets from quarterback Jayden Maiava.
The freshmen are in a different kind of fight. Tron Baker started in Week 0 and had four catches for 45 yards, but he has since slid into a rotational role. He’s behind Simms and Hines now, though he has already shown he can make plays and secure the ball in Weeks 0 and 1.
Ethan “Boobie” Feaster is also in a crowded spot, sitting behind Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, who has already locked down his place in the offense. That gives Feaster a chance to show off the traits that made him such a highly regarded addition from Texas: route running, track speed, reliable hands and play-making ability.
In Other News...
USC Should Notice This Oregon QB Problem Before The Ducks Visit
Dante Moores first start against Oklahoma State gave Oregon enough to keep moving, but it also left a few things hanging for anyone paying close attention. The quarterback finished 14 of 29 for 191 yards and two touchdowns, yet his first-half passing total was only 45 yards, the lowest of his starting career. For USC, that matters because Oregons offense is built around a quarterback who has to settle in quickly when the pressure rises, and Moore has not always looked like the kind of passer who can carry a tight game from the opening whistle.
The concern is less about one uneven night than the larger pattern around Moores first-year run as the Ducks starter. There have already been moments when he has not quite matched the level expected of him, and that leaves a real question for a trip to Los Angeles: can he make the decisive throws when Oregon needs them most? USC will have plenty to sort out on its own before the Ducks arrive, but this is the kind of quarterback issue that can shape a Big Ten showdown long before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
USC Faces A Rutgers Threat Built To Keep Maiava Watching
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For the Trojans, the challenge is less about the name on the roster and more about what Rutgers wants to do with the ball once the game starts. A running attack that can stay on schedule and drain clock is exactly the kind of approach that can keep USC quarterback Maiava on the sideline and turn an opener into a possession game, making the Scarlet Knights' ability to control the ground a central part of the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Walks Into A Much Bigger USC Test Than Expected
USCs fast start has turned the Sept. 26 home date with Oregon into one of the seasons hottest tickets, with the school announcing the game is sold out. A 3-0 beginning has helped lift interest around the program, and the buzz has been fueled by quarterback Jayden Maiavas strong play and a wave of freshmen stepping into meaningful roles early in the year.
The matchup now carries a little more intrigue than the rankings might suggest, since Oregon is listed as a 1.5-point favorite even with USC sitting higher in the AP Poll. Both teams are expected to take care of business in the immediate lead-up, which only adds to the sense that this one could say a lot about where the Trojans really stand when a top opponent shows up in the Coliseum. [Read more 🡒]