USC’s updated fall roster offers a pretty clear snapshot of where this team is headed as camp opens: bigger bodies, more depth, and a few notable newcomers mixed in with a roster that still has plenty to sort out before Aug. 29.
The Trojans begin fall camp this week with San Jose State exactly one month away, and there’s still work to be done across the board. Depth looks better on paper, which only makes the competition for jobs tougher. And on defense, the real question remains the same one that will hang over camp: who can handle Gary Patterson’s system, and who can’t?
The offseason strength work with Trumain Carroll is also about to get tested. USC spent the summer in the weight room, and the next few weeks will show how much of that work actually carried over.
Late Tuesday night, the Trojans released their fall camp schedule and updated roster, and the numbers tell a story.
The biggest theme is physical change. A bunch of players moved by five pounds one way or the other, but 25 Trojans changed by at least 10 pounds since spring. Some of the most eye-catching shifts came up front.
Offensive lineman Elijah Vaikona had the largest swing on the roster, dropping 25 pounds to 360. Tight end Walter Matthews and cornerback Carrington Pierce each added 20 pounds, with Matthews now at 305 and Pierce at 185.
Five of USC’s seven freshman offensive linemen also altered their frames. Breck Kolojay is down 10 pounds to 310, Esun Tafa dropped 15 to 325, John Fifita lost 15 to 380, while Chase Deniz added 15 to 315 and Vlad Dyakonov gained 10 to 295.
The defensive line changed shape too. Jamaal Jarrett dropped 15 pounds to 360, which puts him back at the weight he was listed at last fall. Jide Abasiri is down 15 to 280, Floyd Boucard added 10 to reach 315, Jadyn Ramos gained 15 to 250, and Kameryn Crawford lost 10 to 255.
There were similar tweaks at linebacker, where Desman Stephens II and Ta’Mere Robinson both added 10 pounds to get to 250 and 240, respectively. Jadyn Walker is also listed at 240 after a five-pound gain, and Taylor Johnson added 10 pounds to reach 220 before his freshman season.
The backfield shifted as well. King Miller added 10 pounds and now sits at 225, while Waymond Jordan dropped five pounds to 210. Freshman tight end Mark Bowman is up 10 pounds to 245.
One of the stranger details on the roster: defensive end Zuriah Fisher is now listed at 6-foot-4 after being listed at 6-foot-2 in the spring. Penn State had him at 6-foot-3.
USC also brought in 24 players during the offseason, though only two were signees. Wide receiver Ethan Feaster and Roderick Tezeno are on campus, with Feaster wearing No. 1 and Tezeno No.
- Defensive lineman Malik Brooks, the other member of the class, will spend his freshman season at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, Calif.
Among the other additions, running back Kayne Miller joins as the third Miller brother and will wear No. 30, the number King Miller wore last season. Former Long Beach Warren defensive tackle Jordan Abarca is in after starting at UCLA. And USC has another punter in the mix with Nate Hillenburg arriving from Valparaiso, the same school last year’s starter Sam Johnson transferred from.
The roster also hints at the size profile USC seems to be building by position. Defensive linemen are listed at least 6-foot-3, with tackles around 300 pounds and ends in the 260s.
Interior offensive linemen are mostly in the 310-pound range, tackles around 320. Linebackers are generally around 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds.
Running backs are sitting near 5-foot-10 and 200, defensive backs around 5-foot-11 and 190. Tight ends are at least 6-foot-3 and around 250, while wide receivers are generally in the 190-pound range, with outside receivers taller than six feet and inside receivers a little shorter.
In Other News...
USC Is In A Real Fight For Elite California Linebacker
Southern Cal has stayed active with Landon Miller, and the four-star linebacker has given the Trojans plenty of reason to keep pushing. The California standout has been on campus for an unofficial multi-day visit, worked out on the field, studied film, toured campus and met with Lincoln Riley, Chad Bowden, Max Stienecker and linebackers coaches AJ Howard and Mike Ekeler, all while remaining one of the nations most closely watched defensive recruits.
Millers recruitment is still wide open, with USC in the mix against several blue-blood programs and more visits on the calendar. He plans to be at the Trojans Sept. 12 game against Louisiana, then head to Oregon for its matchup with UCLA, with additional trips to other contenders still possible as he keeps sorting through a decision that could shape the West Coast linebacker market. [Read more 🡒]
Drake London Is Paying The Price For Something He Cannot Fix
Drake Londons name came up again in a familiar kind of conversation this week, the sort that says as much about circumstance as it does about talent. League executives and coaches left the former USC standout just outside the top 10 NFL receivers list, slotting him as an honorable mention instead, even though his profile keeps growing in ways that are hard to ignore.
One NFL coordinator described London as a solid possession receiver who wins contested catches and shows up in the red zone, but also pointed to the limitations around him in Atlanta. For USC fans who watched him develop into a polished playmaker, the frustrating part is how much of his ceiling still seems tied to factors he cannot control, leaving his reputation a step behind his ability. [Read more 🡒]
USC Defender Is Giving Lincoln Riley A Reason To Believe Up Front
Jide Abasiris offseason became one of those quiet USC developments that can matter a lot once the pads come on. The defensive lineman arrived at the 2026 Big Ten Media Days talking less about depth-chart noise and more about the work he put in away from it, stressing personal development, confidence and the kind of day-to-day commitment that coaches notice long before the box scores do. Lincoln Riley has already singled out Abasiris dedication to the program, a meaningful nod for a player trying to carve out a bigger role up front.
Abasiri also offered a glimpse into the mindset that has shaped his path, including the way his Nigerian heritage has influenced his football journey. For USC, that matters because the Trojans are looking for more than just bodies on the defensive line - they need players who can grow into reliable pieces in a demanding league. Abasiri sounds like someone intent on being that kind of presence, even if the bigger test of how far he has come is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]