Former Trinity League Standouts Make Statement in USC Trojans Debut

The arrival of general manager Chad Bowden and inside receiver and tight end coach Chad Savage in January of last year changed USC’s fortunes when it came to recruiting in Southern California.

For years, the Trojans watched highly-touted local prospects leave the state and immediately become standouts at other schools across the country. But in the 2026 class that shifted and USC felt the impact of it in the season opener.

Local Stars Shine Inside Coliseum

USC Trojans Trinity League Recruiting Trent Mosley Mark Bowman Tron Baker Kayden Dixon-Wyatt Freshman San Jose State Coliseum — Aug 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (17) celebrates with tight end Mark Bowman (19) after scoring on a 9-yard touchdown pass against the San Jose State Spartans in the second quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Former Trinity League standouts, receiver Trent Mosley, a Santa Margarita product, receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and tight end Mark Bowman, Mater Dei products, earned starting nods. Three players USC would not have landed without a revamped personnel department, and Savage was the primary recruiter for all three.

Mosley was sensational. His connection with quarterback Jayden Maiava looked like the two had been playing together for years. Mosley caught a team-high seven passs for 118 yards and a touchdown. He became the first USC receiver since JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2014 to go over 100 receiving yards in his debut.

Mosley also made his mark on special teams with a 41-yard punt return and finished the day with 174 all-purpose yards.

“That kid moves differently. He's special,” said running back King Miller.

Dixon-Wyatt was another reliable target for Maiava in the Trojans win over San José State this past weekend. He caught four passes for 36 yards and a touchdown. With Tanook Hines and Terrell Anderson set to return at some time in the near future from injuries, Mosley and Dixon-Wyatt helped solidify the position.

Bowman drew comparisons to former Georgia All-American tight end Brock Bowers throughout the recruiting process because of his receiving ability. The five-star recruit caught three passes for 15 yards, however, his efforts as a run blocker made a significant impact. Bowman has always taken pride in blocking, but he proved to be a true three-down tight end.

He added 10 pounds of muscle in the summer and looked more like a veteran Big Ten tight end than a freshman who had reclassified from the 2027 class.

Other Impact Local Freshman

Tron Baker was the third freshman receiver to start in the season opener. Baker was the Trojans first commit in the 2026 class all the way back in September 2023. And nearly three years after that initial pledge, Baker caught four passes for 45 yards in his debut.

“We put in the work all off-season. We had a lot of really good reps together, and it was a really good camp for those guys. I think it was put on display today," Maiava said about Dixon-Wyatt and Baker.

Baker starred alongside former USC All-American receiver Makai Lemon when he was a freshman and Lemon was a senior at Los Alamitos. Now, Baker is making an immediate impact on the same field his former high school teammate did for three seasons.

Running back Deshonne Redeaux had just two carries for 26 yards on Saturday but flashed the strength, vision and explosiveness that made him a coveted prospect coming out of Oaks Christian (Calif.). Each run went for over 10 yards. Redeaux solidifies the depth in a talented running back room.

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