USC’s defense is going to see plenty of Oregon’s offense this season, and Jeremiah McClellan is one of the reasons that matchup looks so tricky.
In two years on the roster, McClellan has appeared in 18 games and caught 41 passes for 581 yards and three touchdowns. The numbers are solid, but they only tell part of the story. What has really made McClellan stand out is the stream of highlight-reel grabs he’s stacked up along the way, catches that have made the rounds on social media because they look almost unreal.
There was the “helmet catch” against Washington last year that didn’t count, the toe-tap touchdown against Minnesota, the falling-down score against James Madison, and an impossible 50-50 ball in the College Football Playoff against Indiana. Those moments have helped define McClellan as he heads into his second season as a starter for the Ducks.
Asked about the way he keeps turning impossible plays into routine ones, McClellan kept it blunt: “I would rather die than drop the ball.”
That attitude shows up in how he works. The former 4-star recruit has been known to set up the Monarc JUGS machine at extreme angles to force tougher catches, and he even spends time in airports waiting for flights while sharpening his craft.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has seen it up close. “He's someone that makes insane catches,” Moore said.
“Of course, it translates to the game. But overall, even today, multiple catches, I was just like, wow, how do you even do that?
But it's kind of just, he's been putting the work in, and when you put the work in, it shows.”
In Other News...
USC Is In A Battle It Cannot Afford To Lose For Local Star
Hayden Koo has become one of the more closely watched local names in USCs recruiting orbit, and for good reason. The four-star wide receiver from Tustin has drawn attention from a long list of programs that includes Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, BYU, Stanford and UCLA, but the Trojans have made a clear push of their own as they try to keep one of Southern Californias better prospects close to home. Koo was on campus for The Opening Finals and later took part in an invite-only USC prospect camp, where he worked out with coach Chad Savage and came away with an offer.
The next stretch of the recruiting calendar could matter a lot here, because Koo is planning to take game-day visits this season even though nothing is locked in yet. USC is one of the schools he wants to see, and the late-September home date against Oregon is already on his radar, which gives the Trojans a chance to make a stronger impression in front of a local target who still has plenty of options. For USC, the appeal is obvious: keeping a top California receiver from drifting elsewhere is exactly the kind of battle it cannot afford to lose. [Read more 🡒]
USC Could Catch Wisconsin In A Coach's Most Desperate Game
Lincoln Rileys seat at USC still draws plenty of attention, but the more fragile situation in this matchup belongs to Wisconsin and Luke Fickell. The Badgers have gone through two straight down years, and after the rough 2025 season, plenty of observers expected a change. Instead, Wisconsin is trying to buy time and stability, while USC enters the game with the kind of expectation that usually comes with being the more talented team on paper.
For the Trojans, that makes this one feel less like a toss-up and more like a chance to keep a struggling opponent from finding any footing. USC is expected to handle Wisconsin, and anything short of that would raise immediate questions about where this program is headed under Riley. For Fickell, the pressure is even more immediate, because the margin for error in Madison has already shrunk to the point where every game now feels like part of a final exam. [Read more 🡒]
USC Ace Mason Edwards Just Delivered A Huge Draft Moment
Mason Edwards rise at USC ended with the kind of draft moment that confirms just how far his college career came. After missing most of the 2025 season because of injury, the former Trojans pitcher returned in 2026 and turned himself into one of the most dominant arms in the country, finishing with 8 wins, a 2.07 ERA and 15.9 strikeouts per nine innings while anchoring USCs staff.
The season also brought national recognition, with Edwards emerging as a finalist for the National Pitcher of the Year Award and earning Baseball Americas pitcher of the year honor. His performance made him the highest-drafted USC player since Brad Boxberger in 2009, and now he heads into the Athletics minor league system with the sort of momentum that can change the early shape of a pro career. [Read more 🡒]