USC’s linebacker room is looking a lot different than it did a year ago, and Jadyn Walker is one of the clearest signs of that shift. The redshirt sophomore has gone from trying to work his way back after a shoulder injury to a player who believes he finally understands the position at a much deeper level.
Walker missed nearly all of his freshman season in 2024 because of the injury, then got into all 13 games last year, making five starts along the way. That first full run of college football gave him something real to study - and, by his own admission, some painful film to revisit.
“I've seen what my game looks like now, seeing that back, it kind of hurts like because the games I did play bad, we lost those games too,” Walker said.
A big reason for that growth, Walker said, has been the coaching staff around him. Lincoln Riley’s offseason search for a defensive coordinator eventually landed on Gary Patterson, but before that hire, Riley brought in Mike Ekeler from Nebraska to coach linebackers and oversee special teams. Ekeler has built a reputation as one of those assistants players immediately latch onto - loud, energetic and relentless about the little things.
Walker says that approach has mattered.
“He helped my game a lot,” Walker said. “He brings a lot of energy to the table.
He breaks down the game. He tells me how to get to point A to point B.”
USC also elevated analyst AJ Howard to outside linebackers coach, and Ekeler called him his “right-hand guy” during Media Day. Between Ekeler and Howard, Walker says the picture has gotten much clearer from one season to the next.
“Last year, I knew how to play backer somewhat, but this year I really understand how to play like backer fully,” Walker said.
Walker isn’t the only name to watch in the room. Desman Stephens started all 13 games last season as a sophomore and led the team in tackles, and he’s added 10 pounds this offseason to reach 250 on his 6-foot-3 frame. Ekeler still sees the same athlete underneath the added size, pointing to Stephens’ background as a high school defensive back, receiver and returner.
“He is moving like a DB. He can flat out fly, and he's got hips like butter," Ekeler said.
"He's a talented dude, and he just loves ball, and he's smarter than heck. He's a special player.”
Stephens is fighting to keep that starting job in camp, while Deven Bryant returns to Southern California after starting 10 games at Washington last season. Redshirt sophomore Elijah Newby has settled into linebacker and is pushing for more in his third year.
The group also has some younger talent trying to force its way into the conversation. Veterans at the position couldn’t stop talking up freshman Talanoa Ili during Media Day.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Ili is a top 100 overall prospect in the 2026 class and will keep pressing for a role as a rookie. Redshirt junior Ta’Mere Robinson, who was a key reserve and special teams contributor last season, is also back, while freshmen Shaun Scott and Taylor Johnson fill out the rest of the room.
In Other News...
Madden Riordan Is Giving USC A New Reason For Safety Optimism
Madden Riordan arrived at USC with the kind of profile that tends to make coaches lean in, and he has only strengthened that buzz since getting on campus. The freshman safety has added weight and muscle since enrolling, and his play throughout spring and fall camps has matched the physical progress. Inside a secondary that always needs answers, Riordan has stood out for the kind of football IQ and instincts that can help a young defender find his footing quickly.
USC does not need him to be an immediate starter for him to matter, which is part of what makes his ascent worth watching. Riordan is already earning trust from coaches and teammates, and that sort of early credibility can matter as much as raw talent in a safety room. The Trojans are still sorting out the shape of the group, but Riordan has given the staff a new reason to feel better about the position going into the season. [Read more 🡒]
USC's Running Back Room Could Be A Real Big Ten Strength
USCs backfield enters the Big Ten era with a kind of depth that has become easy to overlook when the conversation starts with the Trojans passing game. King Miller and Waymond Jordan both showed they can bring real production to the offense last season, and they are part of a running back room that looks more varied than top-heavy. Riley Wormley, Deshonne Redeaux, Shahn Alston and Kayne Miller give the Trojans a mix of backgrounds and skill sets that should help keep the group from feeling one-dimensional.
The bigger question is how much of that promise turns into a true weekly edge once the schedule stiffens in conference play. Depth only matters if it shows up when bodies start wearing down and game plans get more demanding, and USC appears to have enough options to make opponents prepare for different styles on the same night. If that versatility translates the way the staff hopes, this could be one of the quieter reasons the Trojans are better equipped for the Big Ten grind than many expect. [Read more 🡒]
Leon McQuay III Still Owns One Of USCs Most Memorable Moments
Leon McQuay IIIs USC legacy still starts with one of the most recognizable plays of the programs recent run. The safety, who played for the Trojans from 2013 to 2016 and became a full-time starter as a senior, carved out a place in school memory with a key interception in the 2017 Rose Bowl that helped USC finish off a victory.
McQuays college career never had the loudest statistical footprint, but his timing on that stage made the moment stick. He went on to be selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft and appeared in one regular-season game, but for Trojans fans, the defining image remains the one he created in Pasadena. [Read more 🡒]