Freshman Receiver Trent Mosley Emerging As Hidden Gem In USC Trojans Offense

USC general manager Chad Bowden was very high on the crop of recruits that were in Southern California for the 2026 cycle, which included Santa Margarita (Calif.) four-star receiver Trent Mosley.

The Trojans made it a priority to land the highly coveted pass catcher as they battled Notre Dame, Mosley’s parents alma mater.

Trent Mosley Delivers Senior Season for the Ages

USC Trojans Santa Margarita Jayden Maiava CIF Trent Mosley Mater Dei Tanook Hines Recruiting Class Chad Bowden Transfer — Oct 21, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Utah Utes in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Mosley comes from an extremely athletic family. His father, Emmett Sr., played football for the Irish in the mid 1990s, while his mother, Cindy, starred on the soccer team, where she won the Herman Trophy, which is presented annually to the nation’s top soccer player.

Older sister, Jalyn, played Division I soccer at Iowa and his older brother, Emmett, is currently a wide receiver at Texas. Younger brother, Grant, is a garnering national attention in the 2028 cycle and picked up an offer from USC last spring.

Mosley was on the national radar before he entered high school, receiving offers from schools such as Notre Dame, Oregon and Texas A&M as an eighth grader. He earned Trinity League MVP honors as a sophomore after he reeled in 81 receptions for 1,282 yards and 11 touchdowns to go along with 15 rushing touchdowns.

“If you can be a dude in that league, I trust you to be able to step in and produce at a reasonably high level because you were already playing against college football players in the Trinity League,” said On3’s JD Pickell.

His finest stretch came this past fall in the CIF Southern Section Division I Playoffs. He caught one touchdown in the quarterfinals against Sierra Canyon to end their perfect season, in a matchup that featured three USC signees on each side. Mosley followed it up with a two-touchdown performance against Trinity League rival Orange Lutheran in the semifinals.

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Mosley exploded in the CIF-SS Division I Championship, reeling in 10 receptions for 299 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns in a dominant 42-7 win over Corona Centennial to send the Eagles to the state championship.

Santa Margarita became the first team other than Mater Dei or St. John Bosco to win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 Championship since 2015. Mosley carried that momentum in the Open Division title, the highest division in California, where he caught eight passes for 173 yards and scored three total touchdowns in a 47-13 rout over powerhouse De La Salle. The school's first state championship since 2011.

It takes a special player to rewrite the hierarchy in California, at least for one season, and that is the kind of talent currently enrolled on campus right now for the Trojans. Mosley picked up numerous accolades while cementing his legacy at the high school level. The local product was named the California MaxPreps Player of the Year and earned Max Preps First Team All-American honors.

Mosley is electric with the ball in his hands. His short area quickness and burst are special. He can beat a defense over the top or take a short pass the distance at any given moment. Santa Margarita utilized him as a wildcat quarterback to waste no time getting him the ball. He instantly becomes someone Lincoln Riley can utilize as an offensive chess piece.

“Trent is probably one of the best football players I've ever seen,” said one California high school coach that faced Mosley several times over the years. “Just looks like he plays a different speed than everybody else. He's one of those guys that just glides, like it's he's not exerting extra effort to be what he is atop of everybody else, he's phenomenal. I've only heard good things about his work ethic and the type of kid he is and the family he comes from. Glad we don't have to play him anymore.”

Outlook of Wide Receiver Room

USC lost three of its top four receivers to the NFL Draft or graduation and their limited activity in the transfer portal suggests they are ready to play a young group of receivers. Tanook Hines and NC State transfer Terrell Anderson project as the Trojans two receivers but everything after that is a question mark heading. The competition at wide receiver becomes one of the intriguing battles this spring.

Zacharyus Williams was supposed to be a key part of the receiver rotation last season but a significant upper body in week 2 kept him out of the lineup until late November. Corey Simms saw action in all 13 games but as primarily a special teams contributor. He only recorded 21 offensive snaps during his freshman season and Romero Ison, who was also a four-star recruit in the 2025 cycle with Hines and Simms, appeared in one game.

Mosley is part of an impressive group of freshmen that have entered the room. He and fellow Trinity League star Kayden Dixon-Wyatt are on campus this spring and the two four-star recruits are strong candidates to earn playing time from day one, along with four-star Boobie Feaster, who will enroll in the summer.

Four-star Luc Weaver is a hidden gem in the Trojans recruiting class. He and three-star Ja'Myron Baker are currently on campus this spring and three-star Roderick Tezeno will join the room in the summer.

Trent Mosley Delivers Senior Season for the Ages

Outlook of Wide Receiver Room

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