USC’s opener against San José State has already turned into a showcase for the Trojans’ newcomers, and the quarterback room is part of the story.
Before the Aug. 29 Week 0 matchup, USC elevated 2026 freshman signing Jonas Williams to the No. 2 spot behind Jayden Maiava, while backup quarterback Sam Huard did not end up wearing gameday attire. The latest depth chart listed Huard and Williams together as the backup quarterback options, giving USC the chance to add a dual-threat wrinkle if needed.
Williams arrived in Los Angeles as one of the earliest commits in the Trojans’ No. 1 ranked recruiting class for 2026, and his path to USC included a late flip from Oregon. The Illinois prospect had initially seemed headed there, where he could have learned from quarterback and Heisman Trophy contender Dante Moore, but USC changed the picture.
“I went down there in late July, and then during the season, they came out to my games. Then they started recruiting me heavy and offered in November,” Williams said to On3's Scott Schrader during the time he flipped to USC. “They made me a big priority, it just became a better fit."
By halftime, USC was up 28-0, and Williams was in position to potentially get his first action in the Coliseum as the second half unfolded.
He’s not the only freshman getting a look. USC started four-star freshman wide receivers Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Trent Mosley on the perimeter, with returning wideout Tanook Hines and transfer Terrell Anderson both not dressed. That opened the door for the two freshmen to crack the starting lineup.
The freshman presence didn’t stop there. Five-star tight end Mark Bowman, Dixon-Wyatt’s Mater Dei teammate, also made the two deep and started on the opening offensive possession.
On defense, edge rusher Luke Wafle got early snaps after a strong spring that carried into fall camp. Cornerback Elbert Hill IV also broke through the two-deep and saw early action.
USC also had another prized freshman on the field in a different role, with running back Deshonne Redeaux lining up as a kickoff returner for the season opener in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
With the Trojans in control at the break, the stage was set for even more of the young talent to get a turn.
In Other News...
USC Just Got Another Reminder It No Longer Looks Like An Elite Program
USCs place in the national conversation has become a little easier to measure by who is missing from the preseason spotlight. The Trojans did not place a single player on the USA TODAY Sports preseason All-America college football team, a list that leaned heavily toward the sports familiar heavyweights from Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia and Texas. For a program that still carries a blueblood name, it is another sign that the market no longer treats USC like one of the sports defining powers.
The bigger concern is how often this sort of reminder keeps arriving for a team that has not reached the College Football Playoff in 12 seasons and now heads into a pivotal 2026 campaign under Lincoln Riley. USC is still being measured against the standard set by programs such as Ohio State and Oregon, but the preseason rankings suggest it has work to do before it can claim that tier again. For a fan base used to thinking in championships, the gap between reputation and reality is becoming harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
USC May Have Found A New Weapon Sooner Than Expected
USCs 42-26 win over San Jos State offered an early glimpse of a player who may have arrived sooner than expected. True freshman Trent Mosley caught seven passes for 118 yards in his college debut, becoming the first USC freshman since 2014 to clear 100 receiving yards in a first game and giving the Trojans another dynamic option to watch as the season unfolds.
The performance came on a day when USC was also sorting out its leadership structure, naming Tobias Raymond, Kilian OConnor, Alex VanSumeren and Jayden Maiava as permanent captains for the season. OConnor is currently sidelined by injury but remains part of that leadership group, while the program also unveiled the Progressive Insurance logo on the field as part of a multiyear sponsorship agreement, another sign of how much is changing around the team even as Mosleys emergence grabs the attention. [Read more 🡒]
USC Freshman TE Is Drawing A Comparison Trojans Fans Will Notice
Mark Bowman has barely gotten his USC career underway, but the freshman tight end is already generating the kind of buzz that tends to follow special talent. After a quiet debut in which he had limited production, Bowman still left enough of an impression for college football analyst David Pollack to point to his potential, which is exactly the sort of early conversation Trojans fans like to hear about a young pass-catcher in their system.
The comparison gaining traction is one USC supporters will recognize quickly: Brock Bowers. The former Georgia star piled up a rare college rsum, winning two national championships and the Mackey Award twice before heading to the Las Vegas Raiders, and an SEC coach reportedly sees some of that same upside in Bowman. For a freshman just beginning to carve out his role, being mentioned in the same breath as Bowers says plenty about the ceiling USC thinks it may be working with. [Read more 🡒]