Three Observations From USC’s Third Week of Spring Practice

The USC Trojans returned to the practice field last week after returning from spring break.

Oct 8, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks on the field prior to a game against the Washington State Cougars at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

USC returned to the practice field last week after a week-long layoff for spring break. 

The Trojans hosted a number of highly touted recruits throughout the week and held a scrimmage inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from their third week of practice. 

Attention to Detail 

Oct 8, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks on the field prior to a game against the Washington State Cougars at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Wednesday morning saw a wave of defensive players head back into the locker room just before the start of practice for not having their knee pads in. USC coach Lincoln Riley has made it abundantly clear, if they want to be better as a program, every detail matters and that includes having the proper equipment. 

“I think us as a staff and some of the leaders within the program just continue to push the standard with these guys and just understand that even 95 percent of their best is just not going to be tolerated or accepted,” Riley said. “And so I think it was a good message from some of our staff and leaders in terms of the approach that we need to have every day that we come out here. The guys responded well to it. We had pretty good practice after that.”

The Trojans had a scripted practice that day with the intent of putting the players in a position that creates discomfort. They worked on red zone and two-minute drill situations. 

“It’s invaluable time, invaluable reps,” Riley said. “Coming out and working plays and the techniques, great. When you start putting those guys in real-life situations and you make it really difficult on them, you really start to see who rises up and they’re great teaching moments for these guys and for the team in terms of what we want to be and what we want them to be.”

Young Pass-Catchers From Southern California Emerging 

Nov 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) drops back to pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

USC leaned up heavily into high school recruiting rather than loading up in the transfer portal to retool its receiver and tight end rooms. And so far the reviews have been glowing. 

Five-star tight end Mark Bowman continues to impress and reportedly had a big day during the team’s scrimmage inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The local product is expected to be a day one starter. Another former Trinity League star in freshman Trent Mosley has also generated plenty of buzz from the moment he stepped on campus. He could also be a day one starter in the slot. 

Freshman Tron Baker was the Trojans first commit in the 2026 class. He’s been making noise and caught a touchdown in the scrimmage, so did freshman Luc Weaver. Receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt was out this past week with a soft tissue injury, but prior to that, the Mater Dei (Calif.) product is another freshman that has made a name for himself early. 

The emergence of the aforementioned players have highlighted the benefits of USC emphasizing Southern California recruits and what it could mean for the present and future of the program. It also bodes well for redshirt senior quarterback Jayden Maiava, who looking to make a statement in his final collegiate season and insert his name in what figures to be a loaded quarterback draft in 2027. 

Romero Ison Has a Rare Mindset 

Sep 3, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the second half against the Rice Owls at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

From media availability, there was one quote that stood out and it came from redshirt freshman receiver Romero Ison, who spoke about not receiving much playing time during his first season at USC. Ison appeared in one game.

“Just because I didn't get reps, I took that as I need to get better,” Ison said. “This is where I want to be so I'm just gonna do whatever I gotta do to get better.”

Ison is from Baltimore, Maryland, the opposite coast of Los Angeles. The easy thing for him to do is get frustrated about his lack of playing time and go find somewhere close to home. Players are free to transfer as many times as they desire with no restrictions in this current format. Instead, Ison is focused on what he can do to get better. 

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