USC football enters the 2026 college football season as one of the more intriguing teams in the Big Ten conference. 

The Trojans lost key weapons in Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon, but head coach Lincoln Riley has restocked the roster with enough talent to make a college football playoff push. From a deep running back room to a potentially elite offensive line to a defense that has quietly accumulated blue-chip recruits, USC has the bones of a team that could surprise people this fall.

The offensive skill talent remains strong despite the departures. Wide receiver Tanook Hines had a productive freshman season and brings legitimate long speed as a former 10.5-second 100-meter sprinter. Terrell Anderson was a sneaky good transfer portal addition as a secondary receiving option from NC State. 

The running back room is tremendously deep with Waymond Jordan returning healthy after missing a significant chunk of last season and King Miller, a former walk-on turned redshirt sophomore who filled in admirably, to say the least.

The player who generates the most excitement, though, is tight end Mark Bowman. A 2027 reclassification to 2026, Bowman is a five-star prospect whose movement skills from the tight end position are, frankly, bonkers. 

Lincoln Riley hasn’t deployed a true mismatch weapon at tight end since his USC tenure began, but his Oklahoma days featured versatile pass-catching tight ends like Mark Andrews. Bowman fits that mold. 

With fewer established options at wide receiver, Bowman could emerge as an immediate high-level contributor in the mold of Brock Bowers’ explosive freshman debut at Georgia.

The freshman wide receiver class could be special

The wide receiver room lacks name recognition compared to last season, but the incoming freshman class has a chance to be really good. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, a former Ohio State commit, brings nuance and maturity beyond his years. 

Trent Mosley out of Santa Margarita Catholic has been hitting the ground running this offseason. Mosley comes from an athletic football family (his brother Emmett Mosley transferred from Stanford to Texas last offseason), and there is real belief he could emerge as a top-three receiver on the team as a true freshman.

The offensive line is where the real buy-in starts

USC’s offensive line might be the most underrated unit on the roster. Offensive tackle Elijah Page has taken a massive step after a disappointing sophomore tape. He has added significant power to his frame while maintaining his flexibility and movement skills. 

Paired with redshirt sophomore Justin Tauanuu (No. 74), who flashed as a redshirt freshman, USC could have one of the most underrated bookend tackle duos in college football. Alani Noa, who earned East-West Shrine Game watch list recognition, is a really good college offensive guard even if his NFL projection has questions. 

The Trojans did lose their starting center, which could be problematic, but this is still one of the better offensive lines in the Big Ten.

The depth is eye-popping. True freshman Keenyi Pepe stands 6-7 and 330 pounds, while Elijah Vaikona checks in at 6-8, 360. USC has quietly accumulated serious offensive line talent over the past couple of recruiting cycles, and if Page and these young tackles take another step, it changes the ceiling for the entire team.

The key is the running game. Lincoln Riley wants to run the football, and with Jordan and Miller both back, the ability to be physical and consistent on the ground should open up everything for quarterback Jayden Maiava in a younger passing attack.

Maiava is the engine, and he needs to be sharper

Maiava was the most efficient quarterback in the country last season per EPA per dropback. He is a significantly more talented player than Miller Moss was, possessing a gunslinger mentality and enough athleticism to extend plays. 

The Notre Dame game last season showcased his ability to make big-time throws. The concern is decision-making. Maiava had a couple of blow-up games where poor choices overshadowed the positives. Entering his third year as a de facto starter in the Lincoln Riley system, history suggests he should take another massive step. 

Quarterbacks who reach that level of comfort and expertise in Riley’s offense tend to flourish.

Behind Maiava, however, the backup quarterback situation is not attractive, making his health one of the two defining variables for USC’s season.

The defense has talent, but physicality and Gary Patterson are the X-factors

The front seven is sneaky good. Jahkeem Stewart is the theoretical candidate to become an eight-plus sack player. Jide Abasiri showed promise last season and has trimmed weight to play between defensive end and defensive tackle. 

The Trojans added five-star recruits Luke Wafle and Jaimeon Winfield, and Wafle in particular looks different. His size, physicality, and length suggest an early impact. Jamaal Jarrett, a 6-5, 360-pound former Georgia recruit, has Jordan Davis-type physical tools and could emerge as the big body USC needs against run-heavy Big Ten opponents.

The concern is physicality at the point of attack. USC’s defensive line has explosiveness, pass rush upside, and depth, but handling the dirty work against quality rushing attacks remains a question. The portal addition of Alex VanSumeren from Michigan State addresses that need. 

Van Sumeren is not flashy, but he brings a physical, former-wrestler mentality.

The secondary is more of a prove-it group. Kennedy Urlacher, the former Notre Dame safety, is a headhunter who will knock your head off, but coverage was never his forte. 

Jontez Williams, a transfer from Iowa State, is the most intriguing piece. Listed at 5-10 (and possibly closer to 5-9), Williams is scrappy, instinctive, and a potential top-100 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. His 2024 film showed real upside before injuries limited his 2025 season.

The biggest question might be Gary Patterson. The former TCU head coach is taking over as defensive coordinator, and while his 4-2-5 scheme inherently features nickel concepts that fit modern football, he has spent time away from the game. Patterson was one of the most respected defensive minds in college football history, but whether he can acclimate to what 2026 offenses look like is a genuine open question. 

It is a boom-or-bust hire that could define USC’s season.

The verdict

USC projects as the fourth Big Ten team to reach the college football playoff. The Trojans are not in the five teams most commonly discussed as national title contenders, but they have the talent to shock people. 

If this team becomes the 2026 version of Miami, stringing together wins down the stretch and making a deep run, it would not be stunning. The bones of a really good team are there, and USC has been building toward this for a couple of years. 

It comes down to two things: Gary Patterson’s ability to prove he can still coordinate a defense at the highest level, and Jayden Maiava staying healthy. If both break right, USC is a legitimate dark horse.