Floyd Boucard’s rise at USC has already outpaced the expectations that followed him into college.
The Canadian native’s path to Los Angeles started long before he put on a Trojans uniform. He grew up in Montreal, knew early that football was the sport he wanted to chase, and set his sights on the NFL.
That dream sent him from Montreal to Mobile, Ala. and then to Miami in high school, where he lived with an uncle while leaving his family behind. Even with that kind of commitment, he still entered the recruiting world as an under-appreciated three-star prospect.
USC came calling anyway, and Boucard ended up in a place where he quickly proved he belonged.
He was one of the more surprising freshmen on the roster last season, climbing past older veterans and players who had been rated higher out of high school. The coaching staff noticed early.
Former USC defensive line coach Eric Henderson said after spring camp, "Floyd, he's physical, and he's heavy handed," former USC defensive line coach Eric Henderson said after spring camp. "He's got some of the best feet that you've ever seen.
I think he has elite footwork. He's a guy that's still growing mentally, the football IQ part.
He's working to understand the game better coming from high school to an NFL style of defense and coaching. When he improves in that area, he'll get better and play faster.
He'll be a phenomenal player. I'm very excited about him."
Shaun Nua echoed that view before fall camp: "Floyd Boucard is a freshman with a huge upside," USC defensive ends coach Shaun Nua added ahead of fall camp. "He's so athletic, and he has good feet.
Floyd is versatile. He's in that mix."
Boucard’s playing time reflected that confidence. He was in the rotation right away, logging double-digit snaps in each of the first four games.
His role dipped when USC tightened its rotations in the middle of the season, and then a knee injury sidelined him for a month. Once he came back for the final four games, the snap count kept climbing.
He hit a career-high 23 defensive snaps against UCLA, then nearly doubled that with 43 in the bowl game after Devan Thompkins departed and Jahkeem Stewart was shut down for surgery.
For the season, Boucard played 191 total snaps, including 172 on defense, across 10 games. He finished with nine tackles, two for loss, and one sack.
Now the door is open for more. With Thompkins and Keeshawn Silver gone, Boucard has a real chance to move even higher in the pecking order. Reports out of the program say he has taken another step forward mentally, pairing a better grasp of the defense with the athleticism and physicality that already showed up on tape.
That matters because USC’s defensive line could look different under first-year defensive line coach Skyler Jones. The Trojans used five interior linemen per game last season, with a sixth and seventh getting only four to eight snaps in some games.
Jide Abasiri looks like the favorite to start, while Boucard and the uber-talented players around him are trying to build on their freshman flashes. Jamaal Jarrett and Alex VanSumeren bring veteran presence at nose tackle, and top-ranked freshmen Jaimeon Winfield and Tomuhini Topui are expected to be part of the mix too.
Boucard was already most dangerous in pass-rush situations last year, but the expectation now is for a broader impact. If he keeps progressing, he should be able to absorb double teams, help close running lanes, and make plays even when the stat sheet doesn’t show it. With the added depth up front, USC’s defensive line has a chance to be the most complete unit it has been during Lincoln Riley’s tenure.
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