USC Trojans 2026 Season Preview

Jayden Maiava returns as one of the most efficient passers in the country. He threw for 3,711 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 66 percent accuracy, ranking fifth nationally in passing yardage and second in QBR, and he is 12-5 as a starter. The book on Maiava is consistency: he flashed high-level play but faded in several of the biggest games, and he will be judged by how he handles the showdowns with Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana. He owns a big arm and is a sneakier athlete than his frame suggests, and a clean, steady season would push him into the Heisman conversation and lift his draft stock; we view him as one of the better senior quarterbacks in the class.

Behind him, Sam Huard offers veteran insurance after a well-traveled career that included a 2,247-yard season at Cal Poly and a memorable touchdown pass on a fake punt.

The passing game must be rebuilt. USC loses Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon, fellow big-play wideout Ja'Kobi Lane and All-Big Ten tight end Lake McRee, a trio that accounted for the bulk of the production. Tanook Hines steps into the top receiver role after a promising first year in which he caught 34 passes for 561 yards and two scores at 16.5 per grab; the question is whether he can carry the load Lemon and Lane once shouldered. He gets help from NC State transfer Terrell Anderson, who went for 629 yards at 16.1 a catch, and from a decorated freshman group headlined by five-star tight end Mark Bowman, whom Riley out-recruited half the country to sign. Trent Mosley and Boobie Feaster are among the young receivers expected to contribute right away.

The backfield is a genuine strength. King Miller emerged from walk-on status to lead the team with 972 yards at 6.2 a carry, ripping off four 100-yard games, while Waymond Jordan added 576 yards at 6.5 after arriving from the junior college ranks, where he ran for more than 1,600. Together they average better than six yards a pop, and Riley calls it the best running back room he has had at USC. With better health up front, this tandem gives the offense a physical dimension it has often lacked.

All five starters return, the kind of continuity Riley believes can make this the most dominant line of his tenure. Left tackle Elijah Paige anchors the group with 20 starts over the past two seasons and projects as the unit's top pro prospect. He is flanked by right tackle Justin Tauanuu and interior blockers Tobias Raymond, center Kilian O'Connor and guard Alani Noa, all of whom bring starting experience. The line allowed few sacks a year ago, and if it stays healthy it belongs in the Joe Moore Award conversation and should translate into steadier protection and a more reliable run game.

For once at USC, the defense will be led by its front. Kameryn Crawford headlines the edge after a breakout year of 5.5 sacks and a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss; he is a disruptive, high-motor rusher and the group's most proven producer. Braylan Shelby lines up opposite with 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss of his own, giving USC two experienced hands off the edge. The interior is anchored by sophomore Jahkeem Stewart, a five-star talent who played through a foot stress fracture as a true freshman and still piled up 7.5 tackles for loss; a healthy season could make him a force. Jide Abasiri adds pass-rush juice from tackle, and the room deepens with Penn State transfer Zuriah Fisher, Michigan State transfer Alex VanSumeren and prized freshman Luke Wafle, a supremely athletic 6-6 newcomer the staff expects to contribute immediately. Riley calls it his best defensive line at USC.

Desman Stephens II is the centerpiece after leading the team with 89 tackles and adding three stops behind the line across 13 starts. Jadyn Walker returns alongside him with starting reps, and the room adds depth through transfers Deven Bryant and Giancarlo Rufo plus a wave of freshmen. The group must replace the production of Eric Gentry, but it enters the year more experienced than it was a season ago.

The secondary is the biggest question. USC must replace All-America safety Bishop Fitzgerald, the defense's leading playmaker. Cornerback Marcelles Williams returns after 41 tackles and four pass breakups, and safety Christian Pierce is back after 64 tackles and eight starts. Riley likes the cornerback depth: Iowa State transfer Jontez Williams arrives with starting experience, Prophet Brown and Chasen Johnson return from injury, and true freshman Elbert Hill IV is pushing for a starting job. Nickel Alex Graham and safety Kennedy Urlacher will see bigger roles. How quickly this young back end absorbs Patterson's scheme will define the defense.

New coordinator Mike Ekeler arrives from Nebraska with a strong special-teams reputation and a mandate to clean up coverage. Kicker Ryon Sayeri was a pleasant surprise, connecting on 21 of 25 field goals and all 48 extra points. Memphis transfer Lachlan Carrigan takes over at punter after a 41.6-net season, while Hines, Trent Mosley and others will handle a return game that must be replaced.