Waymond Jordan is starting to look like himself again, and that matters for USC’s offense.
For much of the first half of the 2025 season, the Trojans’ run game ran through the former No. 1 ranked JUCO running back, who made the jump to major college football look easy. He was building a case as one of the Big Ten’s best backs before an ankle injury in early October against Michigan ended his season.
Jordan had a cleanup procedure in the spring, and USC eased him back while he recovered. The expectation was simple: he’d return to the level that earned him Sports Illustrated Midseason second team All-American honors a year ago, and pair with King Miller to give the Trojans one of college football’s most dangerous backfields.
That hasn’t been the story so far.
Jordan opened the year slowly, and a fumble against Fresno State in the second game of the season - part of a recurring issue in 2025 - cost him his starting job. Even beyond the turnover, it was clear he wasn’t quite running with the same burst and force he showed in 2025.
That showed up in a big way against Wisconsin on Oct. 24, when Jordan didn’t play a snap at all. Freshman Shahn Alston logged a career-high 21 snaps, and freshman Deshonne Redeaux even got carries in the first quarter. Jordan, meanwhile, wasn’t listed on the injury report.
Then came Oct. 31, and a very different look.
After being out of the rotation the week before, Jordan was back in the offense for USC’s upset of then-No. 2 Ohio State.
His numbers - 12 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown - weren’t flashy, but the way he ran was the real takeaway. It was the closest he’s looked to his 2025 form.
On one play, Jordan showed the lower-body strength and contact balance that made him so difficult to stop, slipping a tackle in the backfield and turning what could have been a loss into a big gain. On another, he beat a defender one-on-one in the open field and turned it into 20 yards. Freshman Trent Mosley, better known for his work as a pass-catcher and punt returner, also flashed as a blocker on the play.
King Miller has had his own impact too. Adding 15 pounds in the offseason has made him harder to bring down and more effective as a blocker. He helped open a lane for Riley Wormley on two big second-half runs against Rutgers out of two-back looks, and he did the same on Jordan’s 9-yard touchdown against Ohio State in Week 9.
What stood out on that touchdown was Jordan’s decisiveness and the way he set up his blocks - two traits that had been missing for long stretches this season.
Miller’s blocking also showed up in the run game, and the same goes for Jordan in pass protection. USC’s communication in pass pro was a problem in the loss to Wisconsin, but the Trojans were much cleaner against Ohio State. On one blitz pickup, Jordan stepped up and gave Jayden Maiava a clean pocket.
That kind of stability in the backfield matters in the Big Ten, especially with November football pushing toward a playoff race.
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