USC’s 2026 defense is starting to take shape, and the picture looks a lot different after the Trojans added Gary Patterson, a wave of transfer help and another loaded recruiting class.
Lincoln Riley’s move to bring in the former TCU head coach to run the defense was the first jolt. The additions that followed only raised the ceiling. With five-star and four-star talent arriving across the board, USC suddenly has real depth to sort through before that unit takes the field.
On the edge, the Trojans appear set to open with Braylan Shelby and Kameryn Crawford as the starters, while Zuriah Fisher, Luke Wafle and Jadyn Ramos wait behind them. Wafle, the five-star edge rusher, made an immediate impression in spring practice and created the sense that he could push for a starting role sooner than expected.
Even so, Patterson may prefer to begin with experience on the outside. Shelby brings what looks like an NFL-caliber ceiling, especially if he can deliver in matchups with Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana.
Crawford is coming off a strong 2025, when he posted 5.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for a loss. Fisher, a transfer from Penn State, gives USC another rotational option.
Inside, the projected starters are Jide Abasiri and Jahkeem Stewart, with Floyd Boucard, Jamaal Jarrett, Jaimeon Winfield and Alex VanSumerin listed as the main backups. Winfield, another five-star addition, has already generated plenty of excitement about the future of the interior.
For now, though, Abasiri and Stewart are the pair expected to handle the dirty work in the middle. Both have the look of a tandem that could rank among the nation’s best.
VanSumerin is the top nose tackle option when USC wants someone directly over the center, while Jarrett brings massive size at 6-5, 360 pounds and is expected to take another step after transferring from Georgia in 2025.
At linebacker, USC is turning to Desman Stephens II and Deven Bryant, with Jadyn Walker, Elijah Newby and Talanoa Ili behind them. Mike Ekeler takes over as the Trojans’ third linebackers coach in the last three seasons, following Rob Ryan, who replaced Matt Entz in January of 2025.
Stephens gives the room a veteran presence after finishing with 89 tackles and three tackles for a loss. Bryant, though listed at 5-11, produced 62 tackles for Washington last season.
Ili is the future piece here, a massive four-star signing and the top overall prospect in Hawaii, according to ESPN.
The secondary brings plenty of intrigue too. Marcelles Williams, Jontez Williams and Alex Graham are projected as the starters, with Graham filling the nickelback role in USC’s base 4-2-5 look.
Prophet Brown, Chasen Johnson and Elbert Hill IV are the key backups. Patterson’s defenses at TCU were known for cornerback depth, and USC’s first version under him looks similarly stocked.
Marcelles Williams is the trusted veteran on the perimeter, while Jontez Williams brings experience against elite passing attacks and quarterbacks from his time at Iowa State. Hill, a four-star, could push immediately for nickelback work alongside Graham.
At safety, Christian Pierce and Kennedy Urlacher are the projected starters, with Marquis Gallegos and Isaiah Rubin behind them. Patterson won’t get to coach All-American Bishop Fitzgerald in this spot, but he does inherit Urlacher, the son of NFL linebacker legend Brian Urlacher, after his arrival from rival Notre Dame.
Pierce, a junior, is in position to become the ball-hawking safety after breaking up three passes last season. Rubin and Gallegos give the Trojans an intriguing sophomore pair to develop.
In Other News...
USC May Have Found The Linebacker Answer It Has Been Missing
USCs search for stability at linebacker may have taken a meaningful step with the addition of Deven Bryant, a veteran transfer from Washington who arrives with the kind of experience the Trojans have been trying to pair with their homegrown talent. Bryant is expected to slot in alongside Desman Stephens II and Jadyn Walker, giving USC a more seasoned presence in a room that has needed it as the defense continues to take shape under Gary Patterson and Mike Ekeler.
What makes Bryant especially interesting is the way his game has evolved, with a move from WILL to MIKE last season helping settle him into a more central role. He is viewed as a potential starter and a leader for 2026, which is why he lands so high on the list of USCs most important players for that season. Whether he ends up winning the job outright in fall camp remains the next question, but the Trojans at least appear to have found a linebacker who fits the profile they were missing. [Read more 🡒]
Quentin Hale Just Sent USC Fans A Big Message About 2027
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Hales pledge also carries a little extra weight because he has already started acting like a recruiter for the Trojans, making the case to other local targets to stay home. Malaki Davis and Hayden Koo are among the names in that mix, and USC will like the fact that one of its newest commitments is helping sell the program before the class is even finished taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Rileys Standing Just Took Another Hit At USC
Lincoln Riley arrived at USC with the kind of rsum that suggested a quick fix was possible, and his first season backed that up with a trip to the Pac-12 Championship Game and a New Years Six bowl. Since then, though, the shine has worn off. Three straight seasons without meeting expectations have changed the conversation around the Trojans, even as the program still has enough talent and resources to keep drawing national attention.
USA TODAY Sports latest Big Ten coaching rankings reflected that shift, placing Riley outside the conferences top five and slotting names like Curt Cignetti, Ryan Day, Dan Lanning, Kirk Ferentz and Kyle Whittingham ahead of him. For USC, it is another reminder that the standard under Riley is no longer about what happened in year one, but about whether the Trojans can turn recent momentum into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]