USC’s offseason overhaul on defense didn’t stop with Gary Patterson. One of the quieter but potentially important additions came earlier, when Lincoln Riley brought Mike Ekeler over from Nebraska to coach special teams and linebackers.
That move matters because last season’s problems showed up in exactly those areas. Special teams miscues hurt the Trojans in losses to Notre Dame and Oregon, and the linebacker group never found steady footing. Ekeler arrives with more than 20 years of Power Four coaching experience, and USC is counting on him to help clean up both spots.
Riley made clear at Big Ten Media Days that Ekeler checked a lot of boxes for the program.
“Coach Eckler was a great addition. Somebody whose career I followed," Riley said.
"We've worked either with or for several of the same people, so I felt like I knew him pretty well. And he's got a special teams track record that is up there in terms of any other coordinator in the country.
His energy, his attention to detail.
“I think his emphasis on the fundamentals and how he teaches that is very unique. And it was just something that fit for our program.
It fit from our special teams. It fit from him also being involved, certainly coaching our linebackers.
I think it was a huge addition for us. Special teams are obviously a huge part of any championship team.
“And with the roster we built, we feel like we have a chance to be very, very good there across the board. And a guy like that makes you better the day that he walked in the door. And we certainly felt that energy, that excitement, and his expertise up to this point," Riley continued.
The buzz around Ekeler was immediate in the spring, when players talked about wanting to get on the field in special teams because of him. USC even had every coach, Riley included, helping teach special teams drills early in practice, a clear sign of how much the staff wanted that phase sharpened.
Ekeler also comes to Los Angeles with a recent track record to point to. He helped transform Nebraska’s special teams in one season, and USC is hoping for a similar lift.
On the linebacker side, the job is just as clear: the Trojans need real growth in 2026 if the defense is going to take a step forward. Riley pointed to the work Ekeler and AJ Howard, who was promoted to outside linebacker coach in the offseason, are doing on the details that make the position function - lining up right, filling gaps and keeping eyes on the proper key.
A stronger front four, one that has size, experience and depth, should help that group too.
Desman Stephens is back after starting all 13 games last season, and fellow Michigan native Jadyn Walker played in all 13, including five starts. That full year of experience should matter for both 2024 recruits. Washington transfer Deven Bryant is also in the mix and will keep pushing for a starting job in fall camp.
Ta’Mere Robinson and Elijah Newby were key reserves and special teams contributors a year ago. Ekeler is also already high on freshman Talanoa Ili, a top 100 prospect in the 2026 class, whose size and athleticism make him one of the more intriguing names in the battle for playing time.
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The release comes as tickets for USCs 2026 football slate are already on sale, with pricing and schedule details now available for both home and road games. For a fan base that tends to treat fall Saturdays like an event, it is one more reminder that the Trojans brand is as active in the marketplace as it is on the field. [Read more 🡒]
USCs Season May Come Down To One Troubling Receiver Question
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That is where the pressure shifts to names like Tanook Hines and transfer Terrell Anderson, along with the broader depth Dennis Simmons is trying to build at receiver. For USC, the question is not simply whether the top options can flash, but whether the position can hold up across a season and give Maiava the kind of support that turns promise into production. [Read more 🡒]
USC Fall Camp Opens With Real Buzz Around A Massive Challenge
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The bigger picture, of course, is the road ahead. USCs 2026 schedule picked up a late addition in San Jose State, but the real weight still comes from a Big Ten slate that brings Oregon, Indiana and Ohio State into the mix. For a team trying to build consistency under Riley, camp is where the foundation gets laid, but the seasons toughest questions are already waiting on the other side. [Read more 🡒]