Answering Burning Questions Surrounding USC Trojans Before the Season Opener

Fall camp is wrapped up and the 2026 college football season for the USC Trojans is just around the corner. This is the most highly anticipated and crucial season for the program under coach Lincoln Riley.

USC fans had questions on X about the team, and they are being answered.

Who will be starting in the secondary?

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Jayden Maiava Fall Camp Trent Mosley College Football Playoff Big Ten Gary Patterson Luke Wafle — Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Jontez Williams is a lock to start at one of the cornerback spots. Chasen Johnson is trending towards being the starter opposite of him. The two of them have returned to form after suffering season-ending knee injuries last September. But cornerback is one of those position battles where live game reps will provide more clarity. What the lineup or rotation is in week 0 could look vastly different in week 4.

Marcelles Williams, Rock Hill and RJ Sermons will factor in and all three will have an opportunity to prove themselves early in the season. Nickel is the interesting one. Kennedy Urlacher appears to have the slight edge to be the starter but both he and Alex Graham will occupy that spot.

At safety, it’s Prophet Brown and Christian Pierce. Urlacher and Graham have been taking reps at both positions in camp. Graham has a little more versatility, and he may be used as a chess piece for defensive coordinator Gary Patterson.

Who will be wide receiver three?

Tanook Hines and Terrell Anderson are set to be the starting receivers on the outsider, while freshman Trent Mosley has emerged as the favorite to start in the slot after a phenomenal spring and building upon that momentum in camp. He’s been more than impressive since arriving at USC and is competing with Zacharyus Williams.

Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is another freshman receiver from the Trinity League to keep an eye on. He won’t start but is someone that could emerge as the third option for quarterback Jayden Maiava. Dixon-Wyatt adds an explosive element because of his ability to stretch a defense vertically. I do believe it ends up being one of the star freshmen receivers.

Jarrett has the size USC needs on the DL but stamina has been an issue for him. Has his stamina got better? We need him to play alot.

Has Thanos looked like he's taken that jump we need him to take from freshman to sophomore year? Does Wafle look like the best DE currently?

Not concerned about the stamina of a player that may not be on the field more than two snaps at a time, but they are going need him to step up with Jahkeem Stewart expected to miss several weeks.

Jarrett has lost a good amount of weight and is moving significantly better than he was this time last year. The weight was the big thing because he was dealing with numerous lower body injuries as a result of it last season. He should have a real role in the defensive line rotation this season.

Not ready to name freshman Luke Wafle as the best defensive end, but he could certainly have that title before the end of September. He’s that talented. From the feedback I’ve received and what I’ve seen with my own eyes, there’s a reason why he was the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 class. Wafle definitely doesn’t look like a freshman or have the mindset of one.

My son and I met Nela Tupou at the Fan Fest this spring and loved his enthusiasm. What role do you see him having this season?

Nela Tupou has such an infectious personality. I agree, love his enthusiasm. He’s incredibly upbeat and always smiling. Was definitely one of my favorite people to talk to during USC’s Media Day earlier this month, had a really good one-on-one conversation with him.

On the field, Tupou got some valuable experience at the end of his freshman year, especially in the Alamo Bowl, where he played the most snaps at the position. He is going to be TE3 this season behind Mark Bowman and Tucker Ashcraft. USC easily has its best tight end room under Riley and as they did against UCLA in the regular season finale, expect them utilize three tight end packages.

Can you project the defense to produce 40 sacks this season?

Five Power Four teams reached 40 sacks a year ago, with Texas being the only one that didn’t appear the College Football Playoff. USC had 31 a year ago, tied for 36th in the country but it severely fell off in Big Ten play. The Trojans need to find a consistent pass rush in 2026 especially with the quarterbacks they’ll face this season.

It’s dependent on if players like Kameryn Crawford and Jide Abasiri can elevate in their junior seasons. Does Wafle, who registered 23 sacks in his senior year, become a force off the edge in year one?. Does Penn State transfer Zuriah Fisher or Jadyn Ramos emerge? Is there a strong interior push?

Right now, I’ll say no, because I have to see it in live games. And matchups against San Jose State, Fresno State, Louisiana and Rutgers won’t tell me anything. If USC can get after Oregon quarterback Dante Moore in week 5, then I’ll feel differently.

Stock up, stock neutral or stock down based on last year’s 9-3 team?

USC certainly has a more talented and deeper roster than they had last year and at any point in Riley’s tenure. It’s also Riley's strongest coaching staff but the schedule is significantly harder this year. The Trojans have five opponents ranked inside the top 20 in the Preseason AP Poll.

That can change over the course of the season but Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana are tough matchups and a cross-country trip to Penn State presents its own challenges for a team that hasn’t played well on the road the past two seasons. I do believe the Trojans have a team that can reach the College Football Playoff, so I’ll say stock up.

But like the pass rush, watching practice and hearing feedback is one thing. USC is at the point in the Riley era where we can talk about them in a positive light all day, but results have to be seen.

Are the safety's fast enough to cover?

I care more about eye disciple, angles and football IQ at safety more than speed. I believe those take you further. Bishop Fitzgerald ran a 4.55 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and he had five interceptions in 10 games last season for the Trojans and was an All-American. Kyle Hamilton ran a 4.59, and he’s the best safety in the NFL.

Brown does give them more coverage ability than Pierce. Graham will also see reps at safety. Sophomore Dee Reddick and freshman Madden Riordan also give them strong coverage ability at safety.

What are your realistic expectations for this defense?

Super broad, but better coaching goes a long way. Obviously, Patterson is the headliner. Patterson's only job with the Trojans is fixing the defense. He doesn’t go to fundraisers, he’s not on the road recruiting or doing any of the duties he spent 20 years doing at TCU as a head coach.

Patterson is just watching film and building a defense that can complement a high-powered offense under Riley and change the national narrative about the program on that side of the ball. He’s got his hands on every position group during the individual drills.

But it's not just him, its a revamped defensive staff with linebacker coach Mike Ekeler, safety coach Paul Gonzales and cornerback coach Trovon Reed, just to name a few, that put an emphasis on small details, fundamentals and overally player development that has me optimistic about the new heights they could reach in 2026. They should be vastly improved from the D'Anton Lynn defenses and certainly more disciplined.

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