Four Electric USC Freshmen Turning Heads In Practice

It’s no ordinary group of freshmen on campus for the USC Trojans. That has been the word around campus since the No. 1 ranked recruiting class arrived in January.

It’s a group of players hungry to prove themselves and make an immediate impact in the fall. Through the first couple weeks of practice, who are some freshmen on offense that are turning heads.

Trent Mosley, Receiver

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Early Enrollee Spring Practice CIF Trent Mosley Keenyi Pepe Mark Bowman Kayde Dixon-Wyatt Spring — Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Trent Mosley had the entire state of California buzzing during Santa Margarita’s state championship run. To claim the CIF Southern Section Division 1 and Open Division Championship, Mosley caught 21 passes for 482 receiving yards and accounted for seven touchdowns in those two games.

He rewrote the hierarchy of high school football in California for the 2025 season and has carried that momentum into spring practice. Sources around USC immediately started raving about Mosley during his first week of practice.

The four-star recruit provides a skill set that is very similar to Makai Lemon and is a strong candidate to fill the void left by the Trojans Biletnikoff Award in the slot as a true freshman. The Southern California native is dynamic with the ball in hands and just glides down the field. He could also be a factor in the return game.

Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Receiver

Mosley isn’t the only former Trinity League star receiver that has made noise during the first couple of weeks of spring practice. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is making his own case to be an immediate impact player from day one.

The Mater Dei (Calif.) product was a massive addition to the Trojans No. 1 recruiting class when he flipped from Ohio State on signing day in December and has quickly shown why USC never stopped pursuing him.

Dixon-Wyatt is a college ready player. He’s explosive target with strong hands and size at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds. Even if he doesn't start in the fall, expect Dixon-Wyatt to have a major role in the receiver rotation.

Mark Bowman, Tight End

Dixon-Wyatt’s high school teammate, five-star tight end Mark Bowman, is another player that arrived on campus college ready. At first glance, it’s hard to imagine he’s an early enrollee, especially in the lower body.

#USC 5-star tight end Mark Bowman catching passes on the first day of spring practice pic.twitter.com/1K30TZJbin
— Kendell Hollowell (@KHollowell_) March 3, 2026

Bowman arrived at USC as a player that was expected to be day one starter in the fall and has given no indication why that still shouldn't be the case. He is wide receiver in a tight end body. He’s a smooth route runner for his size with natural hands. His versatility allows coach Lincoln Riley to be creative with the Mater Dei (Calif.) product.

Keenyi Pepe, Offensive Tackle

USC returns all five starting offensive lineman from a year ago but that doesn’t mean that will be their lineup in 2026. Five-star Keenyi Pepe is going to make things very interesting at the right tackle position.

Justin Tauanuu started all 13 games at right tackle and it’s worth noting he played very well, especially as a run blocker. He was a big part of running back Waymond Jordan’s early season success and King Miller’s emergence the second half of the year.

However, Tauanuu is out this spring as he recovers from an offseason procedure. That has opened the door for Pepe, the Trojans ranked recruit according to 247Sports, to get some valuable reps and close some ground. The 6-foot-7, 330-pound freshman was a four-time MaxPreps All-American playing at IMG Academy (Fla.).

“Pepe’s an interesting combination of size and power that a lot of times it takes years of a college offseason program to develop but he’s an athletic guy too," Riley said. "He’s not heavy footed. He’s smart, he’s been in here a lot. He’s worked hard to study it, he’s getting more and more confident each day and as he gets more confident, we’re going to see those physical gifts that he has translate more to the competitive situations.

“Each day you can tell it’s a little better. He’s got a bright future and he’s one of those guys with his ability as soon as the light comes on, he’ll be tough to keep off the field.”

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