USC recruited the best 2026 class in the nation, including five-star edge Luke Wafle.

---

Lincoln Riley came to Southern California in 2022 with lofty expectations. He was widely regarded as one of the best coaches in college football due to his successes as Oklahoma. However, things haven’t gone quite according to plan since he arrived in Los Angeles.

Despite this, 2025 was the first year since the 2022 campaign that it looked like USC could be competitive on the national scale, finishing with a 6.76 BiteScore that placed them 21st in the nation. Can that momentum be carried into 2026?

The Trojans led the Big Ten in total offense in 2025, averaging 462 yards per game. That was mainly due to a passing attack led by QB Jayden Maiava, who finished fifth in the nation in passing yards and a 7.51 BiteScore. Maiava lands at No. 9 in the nation entering his senior season.

They also return the majority of their offensive line from last season, which was a group that was one of the best in the nation in pass protection. Additionally, they were very effective in the run game, averaging over 5 yards per carry on the season. 

Their top two backs King Miller and Waymond Jordan are both back. They each averaged over six yards per carry last season and combined for 13 touchdowns. Miller was the leading rusher, but Jordan is the guy to watch. He was off to a stellar start last year before he suffered an ankle injury against Michigan that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Obviously, losing Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane will be difficult. Sophomore Tanook Hines will need to step into a WR1 role, and transfer Terrell Anderson from NC State will be asked to contribute immediately. 

Overall, you can be confident that the USC offense will be effective. Their success will almost entirely rely on the performance on the defensive side. They allowed around 350 yards a game last season, which was towards the bottom of the conference. To fix this, they made one of the best hires of the offseason and brought in former TCU head coach Gary Patterson to coordinate the defense.

Patterson will have arguably the most important job of the offseason. The talent is available to him with guys like Kameryn Crawford, Jahkeem Stewart and Jadyn Walker. Additionally, transfers like Zuriah Fisher from Penn State, Jontez Williams from Iowa State and Deven Bryant from Washington makes this unit one of the most intriguing in the nation.

This all sounds great, right? Well, it gets better. The Trojans had the nation’s best recruiting class in the 2026 cycle. Should there be any positions of need, there is more than likely a blue chip freshman or two ready to fill in. 

Bearing all of this in mind, USC may be one of the most fascinating teams of this upcoming season.

The biggest obstacle for the Trojans will be their schedule. Unfortunately for them, they will need to play Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon this year. The games against Washington and Penn State on the road will be no cake walk either.

The Trojans might have the highest upside of the 2026 season. However, due to their schedule, things could get ugly if there are a few bumps in the road. It will all come down to their defensive performance and the right arm of Jayden Maiava.

Follow DrewKoenig_5 on Twitter/X for more Big Ten coverage.