USC’s freshman class has gone from a source of preseason buzz to a central reason the Trojans are still in the playoff picture heading into Saturday’s Big Ten matchup at No. 9 Indiana on Nov. 14.
That wasn’t supposed to happen this quickly. The 2026 recruiting class arrived with plenty of attention after USC became the first non-SEC school to land the No. 1 class in nearly two decades, but the real noise started in the spring when local high school coaches and veterans on the roster kept talking up the newcomers. By the time fall camp gave way to the season, it was obvious this wasn’t a normal group of freshmen in Los Angeles.
Now the conversation around USC has flipped. It’s no longer about whether the Trojans can trust their freshmen. It’s about where they’d be without them.
That answer is pretty clear: they wouldn’t be in playoff contention.
The offense has leaned heavily on three former Trinity League standouts - receivers Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, plus tight end Mark Bowman - who are three of quarterback Jayden Maiava’s four leading pass-catchers. Their timing with Maiava showed up right away, but Lincoln Riley said the groundwork was laid long before the season began.
“I don’t know that there’s enough respect for what he’s doing with this young of a group,” Riley said. “Like, that’s hard to do, man.
It’s hard to do. Him kind of making that look - it’s not easy, but he has the ability to make it look easier than what it is with this young of a group and how he’s led those guys into some of these moments against some of the teams we’ve played.
I’ve definitely been proud of him.”
Mosley and Dixon-Wyatt have given USC the kind of explosive juice that can stress a defense on every snap. Mosley, especially, has been a home-run threat.
His 69-yard touchdown on the second play of the game in the upset over then-No. 2 Ohio State on Oct. 31 helped set the tone for that win.
Bowman gives the Trojans something else entirely. Indiana’s defensive strength starts up front, and when Bowman is on the field, USC can use him like a sixth offensive lineman. The Trojans felt what life looked like without him in the upset loss to Wisconsin on Oct. 24, when they finished with negative rushing yards.
He’s also far more than a blocker. Bowman flashed his athleticism with a 70-yard catch-and-run against the Buckeyes, a play that showed why Riley views him as a complete tight end and a versatile piece in the offense. After missing the previous three games with a hamstring injury, the Mater Dei product returned against Ohio State on a snap count, and the Trojans had an extra week to get him ready after their second bye week.
Maiava also got another key freshman back in the mix. Left guard had been a problem all season, so USC turned to Kannon Smith, who made his first career start against Ohio State and held up in a spot that had been shaky the week before.
The Trojans will need that kind of stability again in the trenches against Indiana. On the defensive side, freshman defensive end Luke Wafle has already delivered on the hype that came with being the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class. He leads all freshmen in the conference with 8.5 tackles for loss and ranks second with 3.0 sacks, all of which came in October.
Wafle and sophomore Jahkeem Stewart are young, but they’ve helped set the tone for Gary Patterson’s defensive front, and that battle up front could decide a lot on Saturday.
USC also expects another freshman to be tested heavily. Rock Hill has essentially worked as a co-starter with Chasen Johnson opposite Jontez Williams at cornerback, and the former No. 1 ranked cornerback in the 2026 class has already seen plenty of top-level receivers, including Rutgers’ KJ Duff, Oregon’s Dakorien Moore and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith.
That challenge gets even bigger this week. Indiana brings two dangerous receivers in Charlie Becker and Nick Harsh, both of whom could be first round picks come April. USC is going to need Hill again, and probably plenty of him.
In Other News...
USC Mens Volleyball Just Added A New Core For What Comes Next
USC mens volleyball is already looking ahead, and the program has added three newcomers to its 2028 freshman class in Logan Hutnick, Will Spalding and Jack Spowal. Head coach Jeff Nygaard welcomed the group with clear enthusiasm, pointing to the athletic profile and experience each player brings as the Trojans continue building around the next wave of talent.
It is a timely addition for a program that has been trying to keep its momentum moving after its recent 2026 season and amid Nygaards own coaching milestones. The early signings give USC a chance to shape its future roster now, and they also underscore how much of the programs next chapter will depend on how quickly this new core develops once it arrives on campus. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces A Huge Availability Question Against USC
USC heads into its matchup with Indiana in unusually good shape, at least by Big Ten standards this season. The Trojans are carrying no new significant injuries, and several key names have either appeared on or come off the report, including safety Trestin Castro and defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, giving the roster a cleaner look than it has had in conference play.
Indiana, meanwhile, is dealing with a much trickier availability picture. The Hoosiers will be without starters Joe Brunner and Turbo Richard, even as quarterback Josh Hoover has been cleared off the injury report after dealing with an arm issue. For USC, that kind of contrast matters, because the Trojans are suddenly facing an opponent whose lineup still has a few unresolved questions even after one important return. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Can Still Shape Oregons Playoff Fate This Weekend
Oregon has steadied itself with recent wins and now sits at 6-3, but the Ducks are still living in the kind of November math that can make or break a season. Their path to the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff is not just about taking care of business from here on out. It also depends on a chain of results elsewhere in the conference and beyond, which is why every weekend now carries extra weight.
Illinois is one of the teams that could still swing that picture. The Ducks need help from several other matchups to keep their postseason hopes moving in the right direction, and the ripple effects of those games could be just as important as anything Oregon does on the field. For a team trying to climb into the league race, the scoreboard watching is far from over. [Read more 🡒]