Waymond Jordan is back in the mix for USC, and the timing could hardly be better.
As the No. 12 Trojans prepare to host No.
20 Oregon on Saturday night, Jordan is heading into one of the biggest games on the schedule with a clear sense of purpose. The running back’s return from last October’s season-ending injury has been a gradual climb through the early part of the 2026 season, and he sounded eager to keep building as USC gets ready for a primetime showdown.
Through four games, Jordan has 37 carries for 188 yards and one touchdown. King Miller has handled most of the work in the backfield, a setup that appears to be more caution than anything else for Jordan after the leg injury he suffered last season against Michigan.
Still, Jordan remains a major part of Lincoln Riley’s offense, and the Trojans may need that entire group to click against Oregon. Freshman Riley Wormley has recently added another layer to the rushing attack with his breakout showing, giving USC another option as the ground game takes center stage.
After Tuesday’s practice, Jordan talked about the way the backs are working together and the chance to do it in a big home game.
“I think we’ve had a few explosive runs in the last couple of games, but I think we still can gel together and just be all on the same page every day.”
USC’s last game against Rutgers offered a glimpse of what that balance can look like. The Trojans piled up 184 rushing yards, with Miller and Wormley both finding the end zone.
Jordan was especially impressed with what Wormley brought to the field.
“I think he came in and gave us a great spark, breaking out some big runs and coming in with a big-time catch to score a touchdown,” Jordan said of Wormley’s performance. “So, I think he’s been coming on really strong.”
Wormley’s role has grown over the last two games, and last week against Rutgers he scored his first career rushing and receiving touchdowns as a Trojan.
Jordan also pointed to the way coach Anthony Jones manages the rotation in the backfield.
“Coach (Anthony) Jones has his like method of breaking up the reps to make sure we’re all fresh, and we just keep competing and getting better every day.”
For Jordan, the return to game action has carried a different feel after missing the rest of last season.
“I feel amazing. Just a lot of conditioning to the side with the strength staff and, honestly, just playing football and just getting back used to it.”
He said the chance to suit up every week means plenty after what he went through a year ago.
“I’ve been really excited to play every game this season, to be honest. Being out last season, I haven’t gotten to play football in a long time, so just being able to be a part of every game, I’m just excited for every one of them.”
Saturday also brings a new challenge for Jordan personally: his first game against Oregon. USC dropped last year’s matchup 42-27, its fourth straight loss to the Ducks, and the Trojans were held to just 52 rushing yards in that defeat. That number is squarely on the minds of Jordan and the rest of the backfield.
Jordan described Oregon’s defense as fast and athletic, while also saying USC believes it can attack the right spots.
“I think they fly around; they’re a real athletic defense. They have a few weaknesses and a few strengths. I think we’re just going to go in and just play our game and attack everything we can.”
Playing at home, he added, should help.
“I think it’s just an advantage. We don’t have to travel; we’re just at home and comfortable. We just get to be around our fans and have a great atmosphere,” Jordan said about the home-field advantage.
USC will try to use that setting to its advantage when it hosts the Ducks on Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd.
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For a Trojans team trying to sharpen itself before one of the biggest games on the schedule, getting Stewart back would be a notable boost to the front line. Even with his status still unfolding, the possibility of another interior force joining the mix gives USC something extra to monitor as the Ducks come to town. [Read more 🡒]
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For USC, this is the kind of test that can expose both depth and timing in a hurry. The Trojans secondary has been one of the better groups on the roster, with Prophet Brown leading the cornerback room, but injuries to players such as Jontez Williams and Alex Graham add another layer of uncertainty. Against an Oregon receiver group that will be asked to absorb more of the load, USC will need its back end to hold up at a time when the margin for error is slim. [Read more 🡒]