USC is getting another serious look as a College Football Playoff breakout candidate, and this time the buzz is tied to 2026.
PFF recently named the Trojans the team with the best chance to reach the playoff for the first time, pointing to the combination of elite recruiting, offensive firepower and a Big Ten resume that has started to take shape under Lincoln Riley.
“If the betting markets are to be believed, USC is the most likely program still waiting on its playoff debut to get the monkey off its back this fall.
The Trojans have recruited at an elite level for years, culminating in the highest-ranked recruiting class in college football for 2026. This class will be inserted into what is already one of the most explosive teams in college football. USC ’s 19.6% explosive pass play rate was the highest of any Power Four offense last season.
The Trojans’ transition into the Big Ten came with growing pains at first, but gritty wins over Michigan and Iowa last year brings optimism that Lincoln Riley has built a side that can handle physical football, sometimes in adverse conditions.
A program with USC ’s talent ceiling will rarely stay out of the modern playoff picture for long. If the Trojans can pick off two wins in three games against Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana, they stand a brilliant chance."
That’s the case for USC in a nutshell: a loaded roster, a huge incoming class and enough proven production to make people believe the breakthrough is coming. The Trojans’ early Big Ten growing pains are still part of the story, but those wins over Michigan and Iowa gave the program something it badly needed - evidence that it can survive in a tougher league.
The bigger question now is whether this is the season it all comes together for Riley. With USC’s young talent and ceiling, PFF clearly thinks the path is there.
In Other News...
USC Still Has One Big 2027 Recruiting Need To Solve
USCs 2027 class is already moving along at a healthy clip, with 14 verbal commitments and several positions edging toward the point of saturation. The staff has clearly done enough work early to feel good about the shape of the class overall, but there is still room for a few targeted additions, especially in the trenches where long-term roster building tends to matter most.
The line of scrimmage remains the area to watch as the Trojans keep sorting through who might fit best in the classs final stretch. Offensive line and defensive line both still have openings, and USC is expected to stay engaged with potential targets who could add needed depth and balance to the group before the cycle is done. [Read more 🡒]
USC Must Hold Off Heavyweights For One Of Its Top DB Targets
The race for Jalen Flowers is starting to feel like the kind USC recruiting staffers circle on the calendar months in advance. The four-star defensive back from California has 37 offers and is working through a busy 2028 cycle, with a long list of major programs in the mix, including Notre Dame, UCLA, Oregon, Texas, LSU, Ohio State, Washington and Texas A&M. USC got in early with an offer in June 2025, and even with coaching staff changes, the Trojans have stayed active in his recruitment.
Flowers has lined up a heavy fall slate of gameday visits, and two of them will take place at the Coliseum, giving USC multiple chances to make its case at home. By the end of those visits, he intends to cut his list down to 10 programs, which should clarify where the Trojans stand against the rest of the national contenders still pushing to land one of the states top defensive backs. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Still Has Time To Make A Push For Trey Wright
Three-star quarterback Trey Wright has put his recruiting process on the clock, and USC is still very much in the mix as he nears a decision. The Trojans offered Wright, who has also drawn interest from Oregon, Arizona, Kentucky and SMU, and Lincoln Rileys track record suggests the staff is being especially deliberate about where it puts its quarterback chips.
Wright is set to reveal his college commitment on Saturday, which gives the remaining contenders a little more time to make their case. For USC, the timing matters because Riley tends to be selective at the position, and Wright could end up being the programs quarterback add for the 2028 class if the Trojans land him. [Read more 🡒]