USC spent the offseason treating defense like a problem that had to be fixed, not a side project. The Trojans brought in Gary Patterson as defensive coordinator, added eight blue-chip defenders in the 2026 recruiting cycle - six of them up front - pulled in three veterans through the transfer portal and kept working with the breakout players already on campus. Even with all that, the group still didn’t get the national attention it was looking for.
CBS Sports’ top-10 front seven rankings left USC out entirely. The list was loaded with four SEC teams and three Big Ten programs, plus Notre Dame at No.
5, Texas Tech at No. 7 and Miami at No. 2.
Three of USC’s 2026 conference opponents made the cut as well, with Indiana at No. 8, Ohio State at No. 9 and Oregon at No.
The ranking was built around three things: linebackers who work well together, edge rushers who can do damage on the outside and interior linemen who can disrupt plays in the middle. If USC is going to prove the snub wrong, this is the area to do it. The Trojans are expected to line up in a 4-2-5, and the personnel up front gives them a real chance to check every box.
That starts inside with Jahkeem Stewart and Alex VanSumeren. Stewart’s freshman year came with a stress fracture in his foot, but he still put together 18 total tackles, including 11 solo stops, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, an interception and a quarterback hurry across 11 games.
He also earned All-American honors and became an early candidate for the Lott IMPACT Award. If he gets a full healthy season, the buzz around him could change fast.
VanSumeren brings the veteran edge to the group. The Michigan State transfer is a redshirt-senior with 24 starts and 71 total tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.
He was also chosen to represent Southern Cal at the Big Ten Media Days. His role should be straightforward and important: handle the run game while Stewart moves around and causes problems.
On the edges, Braylan Shelby and Kameryn Crawford give USC a pair of starters with different but equally useful skill sets. Shelby is the steady one - the senior who can set the edge, stay disciplined in his gaps and use his hands, leverage and pass-rush moves the right way. Over three seasons with the Trojans, he has totaled 75 tackles, 16 for loss, 9.5 sacks, four quarterback hurries, an interception, a pass breakup and a forced fumble in 37 games with nine starts.
Crawford is the chaos agent. He has the burst to win the first step, the speed to run by blockers and the motor to keep chasing plays down. Last season, the rising junior had 41 tackles, 10.5 for loss, 5.5 sacks, a fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry.
And if the Trojans need to rotate, they have options. Junior defensive tackle Jide Abasiri can play either three-tech or nose tackle. He had 26 tackles, four for loss, 3.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble as a sophomore, and USC Athletics listed him at 6-5, 280 pounds with a top speed of 19.22 miles per hour, a 1.60-second 10-yard split and a squat over 700 pounds.
Penn State transfer Zuriah Fisher is another major addition, giving USC another experienced body who can raise his draft stock with a steady year. Redshirt-junior Jamaal Jarrett is back from injury, and both players bring size that can clog running lanes. Redshirt-freshmen Jadyn Ramos and Floyd Boucard are also in line for more work.
The freshman group could matter too, and quickly. Luke Wafle, a five-star defensive end, enrolled early in the spring after graduating and made a strong impression during practice. Fellow blue chippers Jaimeon Winfield, Simote Katoanga, Tomuhini Topui and Shaun Scott could also carve out meaningful snaps.
Linebacker is the shakier spot. USC lost four players at the position in the offseason, with three going to the transfer portal and one to the NFL Draft. After spring practice, only nine linebackers remained on the depth chart, and just one was a returning starter.
That starter is Desman Stephens II, who led the Trojans with 89 tackles in 2025 and started all 13 games. He’s dependable, reads plays well, wraps up as a tackler and helps organize the defense before the snap. At 6-3, 250 pounds, he looks like a natural fit for one of the two linebacker spots in Patterson’s system.
The other spot appears to be trending toward Jaydn Walker. He played in all 13 games last season, made five starts and finished with 33 tackles, a sack and a pass breakup. His speed and range make him a strong complement to Stephens, especially in coverage and from sideline to sideline.
There’s also talent waiting behind them. Talanoa Ili, a four-star linebacker and one of USC’s best prospects in recent memory, could see the field in short bursts. Washington transfer Deven Bryant adds another option after posting 69 total tackles, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry in 24 games and 10 starts over three seasons.
It’s a thinner linebacker room than the one in front of it, but USC’s hope is simple: if the defensive line is as good as the program believes, the backers only need to hold their ground, play more physically against the run and clean up the second level.
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 🡒]