USC Playing Freshmen Next Season Unveils Bigger Vision

There’s no secret USC made a significant investment in its 2026 recruiting class, signing 35 recruits during the early signing period in December, 32 of which have already enrolled on campus.

It was an all-in approach led by general manager Chad Bowden in his first season. Bowden, the Trojans reshaped recruiting department that models an NFL-style front office, and the coaching staff instituted an ultra-aggressive approach on the trail.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Jayden Maiava Recruiting Class Early Enrollee Freshman Luke Wafle Kayden Dixon Wyatt Trent Mosley — Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes recruits Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Chris Henry Jr. walk onto the field prior to the NCAA football game against the Akron Zips at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 52-6. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bowden made it a priority to restore local ties, something that had faded at USC long before Lincoln Riley arrived in 2022. All while keeping Riley’s vision of recruiting national. Southern Cal won recruiting battles they wouldn’t have even a year ago and led to them finishing with the No. 1 ranked recruiting class.

Bowden’s authenticity resonated with recruits. He built strong relationships and positioned the program to land elite prospects by modernizing the program's overall NIL ecosystem to thrive in the current college football landscape, after severely lagging in that department for years.

House of Victory grew exponentially, put the Trojans in the upper echelon of NIL collective support and now they have a stellar group of freshmen on campus, ready to compete from day one and will certainly intensify position battles in the spring. But it wasn't just writing checks, it was Lincoln Riley and Bowden laying out a vision for the program and the recruits bought in. To each other and USC.

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer was asked last Thursday, Jan. 29 at the Alabama Football Coaches Association Convention in Montgomery if it was tougher or harder to play as freshman in this era of college football.

“I’m not sure if it’s tougher or easier, but I know it’s necessary,” DeBoer told AL.com.

And it begs the question for USC, is it necessary for the freshman to play?

Financially, it is necessary for them to play. ESPN reported in December that USC’s recruiting class will cost them north of $9 million.

But it goes beyond just a financial investment. There’s two ways to look at, playing them is necessary because of what it could mean for the program in 2027 and 2028, if they started playing this season but also what it could do for them next season.

In two of his last three games this past season, freshman receiver Tanook Hines recorded at least 140 receiving yards. He finished third on the team in receptions and receiving yards and appears to be a rising star at the position. With star receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane opting out of the Alamo Bowl, it was clear Hines was the best receiver left in the roster, even with group of veterans still around.

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Defensively, there’s a strong case defensive back Alex Graham was one of their best players on defense the last few games of the season and he missed the first half of the season with an injury. Jahkeem Stewart earned Freshman All-American honors and showed flashes of becoming a force on the interior of the defensive line.

Hines, Graham and Stewart played big roles for the Trojans. The trio of freshmen continued to trend upwards throughout the season and were difference makers from the 2025 class. There is more talent in the class that is currently going through winter workouts, which increases the likelihood of USC receiving more production from its freshman class next season.

Two positions that are almost guaranteed see the most playing time from freshmen would be wide receiver and the defensive front. And USC’s limited activity at those two positions during the singular transfer portal window would indicate that.

The Trojans signed six receivers in the 2026 class, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Boobie Feaster and Trent Mosley would be the first names mentioned. A trio of pass catchers that looked like college players during their senior year of high school. And in Feaster’s case, someone that should have been a junior this past season.

Mark Bowman is plug-and-play at tight end. The five-star recruit from nearby Mater Dei (Calif.) was at the center of USC reestablishing itself as the recruiting power in Southern California.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Big Ten College Football Recruiting Chad Bowden Mark Bowman Jahkeem Stewart Luke Wafle Trent Mosley — Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

For Bowman, as well as his high school teammate, Dixon-Wyatt and former Trinity League rival Mosley, their impact in the fall could shift how future prospects in Southern California view USC. More recruits become interested in the idea of staying home. That’s what happened for a decade in the 2000s under Pete Carroll.

A scholarship from Southern Cal held weight in the Golden State, it was almost like a badge of honor. And for a while under Carroll, receiving an offer from USC as one of the premier recruits in the state, almost assuredly meant you were headed to Los Angeles with the mindset of becoming the next great hometown hero. That sentiment from a wide range of local blue-chip prospects had disappeared until this past cycle.

Breck Kolojay will be the name to keep an eye on at center, as part of a list of freshman offensive linemen that include five-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe, four-star offensive tackle Vlad Dyakonov and IOL Esun Tafa.

Landing five-star edge Luke Wafle, the No. 1 overall recruit according to Rivals, and New Jersey native and five-star defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield, a Texas native, was massive, even more so doing it a year after signing Stewart. The two most college ready players are Wafle and Winfield. The two standouts from the Navy All-American Bowl are instant contributors.

It shows USC can compete with anyone in the country and land elite out of state recruits on the defensive front, a position that has to continue being a point of emphasis for them.

Veteran Leadership

It’s not about a group of freshmen taking over the team. The only way it works next season is the leadership and development of the returning veterans takes a big step. Players such as quarterback Jayden Maiava and offensive tackle Elijah Paige on offense and linebacker Desman Stephens and safety Christian Pierce, just to name a few key returning starters.

The Trojans return several key starters on both sides of the ball, most notably its entire offensive line. A veteran offensive line was a common theme in the for teams that went deep into the College Football Playoff. Having a combination of both that can play at a high level is the only way USC can stun college football in 2026 with their brutal Big Ten slate.

And no freshman is going to play if the coaching staff doesn’t think they can effective and help them win football games in the fall.

Veteran Leadership

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