Why Desman Stephens Will Be One of USC Trojans' Most Valuable Players

After a promising but inconsistent sophomore season, Desman Stephens enters 2026 with a chance to take a major leap.

Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II (23) celebrates against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second half during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the biggest changes for the USC Trojans' program between 2025 and the upcoming season came on the defensive side of the ball. After former defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn left to take the defensive coordinator job at his alma mater, Penn State, Lincoln Riley added one of the greatest defensive minds in college football to take over the Trojans' defense in Gary Patterson.

However, as there is when any new coach takes over, there can be growing pains as players adapt to a different style of defense and scheme. Although learning a new playbook can be challenging, one of USC's linebackers has exceeded expectations when it comes to adapting to Gary Patterson's defense as well as individual growth from last season to this season, and that player is Desman Stephens.

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Northwestern Wildcats tight end Robby Preckel (41) runs the ball against Southern California Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II (23) during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“He's one of the guys I think that took to [Gary Patterson’s defense] maybe the fastest,” said Riley. “He's a smarter player than he was at any point last year in his ability to diagnose what the offense is doing and, what we need to do to stop it… the mental, the experience and I think the physicality have all taken some big jumps and we, you know, we need that.”

How Desman Stephens’ Sophomore Campaign Is Fueling Him

It’s no secret that Stephens experienced some growing pains last season as an underclassman. Although Desman Stephens led USC with 89 tackles in his first year as the full-time MIKE linebacker, he finished the season with a below-average 55.5 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus and just 3 tackles for loss across more than 620 snaps.

Although it wasn’t the most productive season for Stephens, the experience he gained was incredibly valuable and something Riley believes fueled his growth from last season to this one.

Nov 23, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) scrambles out of the pocket chased by USC Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II (23) during the first quarter at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

“He has done a nice job of, taking some of his experiences from last year and understanding, no matter what we're doing schematically, just how he's gotta continue to improve as a player and a leader,” said Riley of the rising junior. “Playing all the snaps that he did last year, obviously as a pretty young guy in there was super valuable. Thought he played some of his best ball towards the end of the year and really started to get settled in on the physicality and the speed of the game.”

Towards the end of 2025, Stephens recorded back-to-back double-digit tackle performances against Notre Dame and Nebraska before putting together a career-high 17 tackles against No. 5 Oregon on the road. His 685 snaps also led the entire USC defense, which shows the level of trust Riley has in the young linebacker. Now, with a full season of starting experience and a proven pattern of growth, his ceiling could be even higher in 2026.

A Bigger Opportunity Awaits in 2026

Another promising sign for Stephens is how the Trojans intend to utilize the Mike linebacker position in 2026 compared to previous seasons.

“A Mike linebacker, I mean, that's the heart of a defense, right?” Riley said. “I think that's a position just looking ahead that we feel we should take a pretty big jump on compared to our production maybe in the last few years.”

Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley (right) is interviewed by NBC Sports reporter Kathryn Tappen after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the Trojans looking for increased production from the position, Stephens could be in line for an even larger role within the defense and the chance to turn last season’s production into one of the better individual seasons by a USC linebacker in recent years.

USC has not had a first-team All-Conference linebacker since Cameron Smith in 2017, but Stephens has a chance to put himself in that conversation if he continues his pattern of improvement. 

So far, the early signs have been encouraging. Stephens has continued to receive praise throughout fall camp, with Riley pointing to his consistency and ability to make an impact.

“He's been steady. His bad plays have been few and far between, and he's made a lot of very impactful plays too,” Riley said.

After gaining nearly 700 snaps of experience last season, Stephens enters 2026 with the opportunity, experience and trust to take another step forward. If he can turn that opportunity into more production, he could become one of the most important pieces of USC’s defense.

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