USC’s backfield is no longer a one-man show.
When the Trojans kick off Saturday against San Jose State, they’ll do it with Waymond Jordan and King Miller front and center - a pairing Lincoln Riley believes can give USC one of the most dangerous running back tandems he’s coached.
Jordan is finally back after the ankle injury that ended his season in the Michigan game last year. Miller, meanwhile, has gone from an overlooked name in fall camp to USC’s leading rusher by the end of the 2025 season, and he’s spent the offseason changing his body to match the bigger role.
“In terms of production, in terms of experience level in our offense, it'd be tough to argue that these two don't have a chance to be our best," Riley said earlier this month. "We'd be disappointed if it's not. It makes a huge difference."
Miller’s rise last season was built on volume and burst. He ran for 972 yards and eight touchdowns on 156 carries over 13 games, with 63 percent of those yards coming after contact. He also ripped off five runs of 40-plus yards, tied for the most among Big Ten running backs.
This offseason, he added about 15 pounds and now checks in at 225 on a 6-foot frame. Miller said the extra mass has made him tougher to bring down and more effective between the tackles.
“I think it's good weight. It's not bad weight," Miller said.
"I'm definitely able to get out of my breaks even better. I'm bouncing off tackles a lot easier."
The change didn’t come easily. Miller said the hardest part was adjusting his eating habits to put on weight without losing his quickness.
“Going up in weight was a tough pill to swallow at first," Miller said this week. "I just knew that journey would be a little difficult, especially eating habits and all that. ... Going from three meals to sneaking that little fourth meal in was a little challenging."
He’s already feeling the payoff in tighter spaces.
“I feel it most when I'm especially in those little short yards distance," Miller said. "Those times, I can really just break through little arm tackles. It's very easy for me to maintain balance and get off those type of runs, and everything is a lot easier for me."
His teammates say the production still looks familiar, just with a little more power behind it.
“He's same old King, making those big plays, making explosive plays," Jayden Maiava said. "Catching the ball, running the ball, blocking his butt off, and he's been doing such a great job."
Tobias Raymond has seen the evolution up close from his spot at center.
“King's one of those guys that just stands out, and he does a really good job in the run game," Raymond said. "He's patient when he needs to be, and then he hits it when he needs to."
Jordan’s path back is a different story. Before the injury against Michigan, he had already put together a breakout stretch, rushing for 576 yards and five touchdowns on 88 carries in six games. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry, and USC sees his physical style as the kind that can fuel a big season.
He’s also embraced the idea of sharing the load with Miller.
“We just feed off each other and we balance each other out," Jordan said at USC's media day earlier this month. "We also keep each other hungry and just humble.
That's how the whole room is built. We all keep each other accountable."
The top two spots are spoken for, but there’s still movement behind them. Deshonne Redeaux brings a different kind of threat, with explosiveness that can flip a touch into a long gain, while Riley Wormley is listed as the next back up on the depth chart USC released Wednesday night.
That depth has made an impression on Elijah Paige, who will be blocking for the group all season.
“Waymo, King, we've got other backs too that do a great job, and I'm really excited to see what those guys can do," Paige said. "I'm really excited to block for those guys and make them look good."
For Miller, the goal is simple: set the tone.
“We're establishing it," Miller said of the run game's physicality. "We've been trusting our offensive linemen. We're just making sure we do our job right."
USC’s season starts Saturday, and the Trojans’ rebuilt backfield will get its first chance to show what it can be against San Jose State.
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