The USC defense is making a notable adjustment ahead of its Oct. 3 matchup with Washington, and the change starts at linebacker.
Desman Stephens II is out for the game after serving his one-game suspension stemming from the Oregon contest, where he was seen celebrating the targeting hit on Ducks quarterback Dante Moore. With Stephens unavailable, USC has turned to veteran Ta'Mere Robinson as the next man up in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Robinson now sits atop the depth chart in Stephens’ place, while freshman Talanoa Ili remains behind him. Ili had earned snaps against Oregon after Stephens was ejected, but USC is clearly leaning on Robinson’s experience for this one.
That makes sense given the situation USC is walking into. The Trojans’ defense was leaky against Oregon, giving up 289 passing yards and two touchdowns to backup quarterback Dylan Raiola in the 41-27 loss. The Ducks also averaged 4.2 yards per carry and piled up 138 rushing yards.
Robinson had a brief chance to step in during that game and recorded two solo stops. USC will need more of that kind of production now, especially with the defense drawing criticism again for inconsistent play. The issue has already shown up in Big Ten games, too, with Rutgers able to run through the Trojans in USC’s 42-35 road win.
On paper, Robinson brings the kind of résumé USC wants in this spot. He has 29 career tackles, including 20 solo stops, along with 0.5 sacks.
For the 2026 season, he has four tackles. The junior is in his fourth year of college football and arrives with plenty of Big Ten familiarity after starting his career at Penn State under James Franklin.
His first two seasons with the Nittany Lions produced a combined 11 solo tackles, and he recorded his only sack there. He was also part of the Penn State team that reached the College Football Playoffs semifinals before losing to Notre Dame.
That background may matter this week, because Washington quarterback Demon Williams Jr. gives USC another dual-threat challenge. Jedd Fisch will likely try to put pressure on the Trojans’ linebackers, especially with Gary Patterson’s 4-2-5 look and only six defenders in the box.
Williams could also test Robinson in the short-to-intermediate passing game, adding another layer to a matchup USC has to manage carefully. After what happened against Oregon, how the Trojans handle that linebacker spot without Stephens will be one of the key things to watch on Oct. 3.
In Other News...
Washington Heads To USC With One Big Break On Defense
Washingtons trip to USC picked up a little more defensive intrigue this week, and not because of anything the Huskies did on the field. The Trojans will be without linebacker Desman Stephens after he was suspended for one game following the illegal late hit that got him ejected against Oregon, a play that drew plenty of attention and forced USC to address both discipline and player safety.
For Washington, the timing matters because the Huskies are also expecting key defenders back from injury as they head into a tricky road matchup. USC coach Lincoln Riley said the suspension was necessary and stressed the programs support for Oregon quarterback Dante Moore as he recovers, but the bigger ripple for Saturday is that Washington will not have to prepare for Stephens on the other side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Washingtons Run Game Has Turned Into A Real Early Problem
Washingtons rushing game has been one of the early trouble spots of the season, and it has shown up in a hurry. Through four weeks, the Huskies sit near the bottom of the Big Ten in rushing yards per game, a sign that the ground attack has not yet found any rhythm as the league schedule starts to tighten.
The issues have been compounded by a thin backfield, with injuries slicing into the group Washington expected to lean on. Jordan Washington, Quaid Carr, Jayden Limar and Julian McMahan have all been part of the setback, leaving Brian Bonner and Trey Cooley to handle most of the load while Ansu Sanoe and Ryken Moon fill in around them. The result is a rotation still trying to settle, and the bigger concern is whether the Huskies can stabilize it before the absence list gets any longer. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Still Has Something To Prove In Huge USC Test
Washington heads into its Week 5 trip to USC still carrying some questions that go beyond the win-loss column. The Huskies have shown enough to keep the national conversation around them alive, but this matchup is the kind that tends to expose whether a team has really settled into itself, especially when the stakes rise and the opponent has the kind of firepower that can make every mistake feel bigger.
For Washington, the trip also comes with a sharper edge because it is no longer just about getting through another Saturday, it is about answering the doubts that have followed the program through the first month. USC offers a clear measuring stick, and the outcome should say plenty about where the Huskies stand in the Pac-12 race and how much more they still need to prove before anyone is ready to trust them fully. [Read more 🡒]