USC Trojans’ Elijah Newby Addresses Offseason Preparation Amid Position Change

The USC Trojans moved Elijah Newby from linebacker to defensive end last December as they prepared to face Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl. That move became permanent in the spring.

Newby, a former four-star recruit in the 2024 cycle is no stranger to getting after the quarterback. His versatility in high school made the transition easy.

“I always kept an open mind when it came down to gaining abilities or skills," Newby said. "I always wanted to make sure that I had a little bit of everything. So in high school, I pass rushed, I dropped in coverage. I did a little bit everything, just so I could increase my talents.”

How USC Trojans’ Elijah Newby Adopted a New Regimen to Prepare for Second Season — Aug 26, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the San Jose State Spartans during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

As Newby enters his second season on campus, he has adopted a new regimen to help not just elevate his game but improve his mental state.

“I really sat down and thought to myself, what can I do to make myself a better person and on top of that, better athlete,” Newby said.

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Since May, Newby has been doing a 30-day routine every month that consists of small things like making his bed every morning and expressing gratitude.

“The first task of the day is always pray, even if it's one minute, two minutes, I always try to get that prayer in," Newby said. "After that, it's something simple as take vitamins, get my vitamins in, and then to fast forward throughout the day, go over an hour of film and just going over our plays. And then towards the end of the night, I always try to stretch before I go to bed. So even though it's like I started low, I want to start minimalistic so I could be able to follow something, and I don't get too overwhelmed.

“So even the routine in my life, it's motivated me and preparing me to attack the season. So those moments where I feel like I don't want to do it, just because I'm doing that discipline right now, I'd be like, 'All right, I know I don't want to do it, but I have to.' So it's just overall, getting me more prepared, and I feel like that's gonna be something that, like I can use when it comes down to my brothers, yeah, if, even if they in the moment where they don't feel the best, I could instill my discipline in them, or to motivate them.”

Newby’s been consistent with sticking to his new routine that it’s almost become robotic and just who he is now.

“It definitely changed my life, because now I'm starting to get more things in my routine that I didn't have initially," Newby said. "So I'm starting to wake up, make my bed for a little bit of gratitude, starting little things that I would normally don't even do, but now, since I got the routine, I got the discipline build.”

Newby was a highly coveted recruit coming out Cheshire Academy in Connecticut but ultimately decided to head out west because of the opportunities that presented themselves in Los Angeles and he has not taken them for granted.

Why USC Trojans’ Elijah Newby Adopted a New Regimen to Prepare for Second Season — 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 | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“I appreciate every moment of it, just being out here. Opportunities come in big abundance out here, where I come from, it'll really be hard to find some opportunities like this," Riley said. "So, just being here, I'm soaking in every moment of it, just trying to be an overall better person.

“It means everything to me, just from them games that I got to experience last year with the little kids saying that they want to be us. From getting DM's from my closest kids at home, saying they want to they want to be like me when they grow up, that I'm a big inspiration. So me being a Trojan is bigger than me. I know it's a vision that a lot of people work for all their life, and me being able to be a Trojan it means a lot to me.”

The 6-foot-3 232-pound Newby isn’t the biggest player on the defensive front but has the utmost confidence that defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn is putting him in the best possible position to be successful.

“I really do appreciate coach Lynn more than I think he really thinks, because he really sits down, he evaluates each one of the players, and he comes up with a success plan for each one of them," Newby said. "So obviously he knows that everybody don't have the same strengths, everybody don't have the same weaknesses, so he works with your strengths, and he makes certain coverages.

“He puts you in the game at certain times because he knows you can do that thing. And him just believing in us is the best thing I ever experienced.”

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