USC Freshman Interior Defensive Linemen Primed for Early Impact

The USC Trojans signed two blue-chip recruits to bolster the interior of its defensive line.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC made a huge investment in its defensive line in the 2026 recruiting cycle. 

Since joining the Big Ten in 2024, the Trojans have made it a priority to sign elite defensive line prospects to build a front that could not only compete with the rest of the conference, but could become a dominant unit. 

Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

USC pulled Richardson (Texas) five-star defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield out of the Lone Star State after just one visit last spring. Texas and Texas A&M remained persistent in their pursuit of the highly touted recruit to keep him from leaving the state, but Winfield never budged. 

The Trojans then stayed local and flipped Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star defensive lineman Tomuhini “TomTom” Topui from Oregon, which helped restart a pipeline with the Orange County power. 

Two massive bodies that have the potential to make an immediate impact for a new-look USC defense in the fall. 

Buzz Coming Out of Spring Practice 

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

New USC defensive line coach Skyler Jones is originally from New Orleans but comes from the same high school as Winfield. The 6-foot-3, 325-pound Winfield has the physical traits to become a disruptor in the interior of the Trojans defensive front. He’s explosive off the snap with quick and powerful hands. 

“The challenge for all these younger guys, you're coming to college, you're going against 23, 24 years old, and it's different, and you have to embrace this,” Jones said. “You have to embrace the technique, embrace the playbook. It's much more than you did in high school. Can't just freelance and play ball. I think that he's done everything that we've been asking for him to do, especially during spring ball.”

Topui is someone that Jones is very familiar with. Jones began recruiting the local star during his freshman year when he was on the Oregon coaching staff. The 6-foot-3, 325-pound Topui, a two-time MaxPreps All-American, was a dominant player in the Trinity League. 

Similar to Winfield, Topui has great quickness for his size and can anchor the interior of the USC defense. He also won conference championship titles in the shot put and discus. 

“Tom is super twitchy. Tom has a really good first step where he can just get off the balls and go. He got a track runner first step,” Jones said. “He does a good job get off the ball, being able to penetrate gaps, but he also does a great job of playing with his hands, striking blocks, being able to anchor it as well. And even if we're doing movements, good lateral steps and being able to quickly get back vertical upfield.”

Strength of USC’s Defense 

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive tackle Jide Abasiri (97) celebrates after a sack as center judge referee Amanda Sauer watches against the Missouri State Bears in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The interior of the Trojans defensive line figures to be one of the teams biggest strengths in 2026.

Junior Jide Abasiri started nine games last season and is expected to make a massive leap in his third season with the program. Same goes for sophomore Jahkeem Stewart, a former five-star recruit, who earned Freshman All-American honors in 2025, despite reclassifying and playing the entire season with a stress fracture in his foot. 

Michigan State transfer Alex VanSumeren was a key acquisition for USC in the transfer portal. VanSumeren was a two-year starter for the Spartans, who brings an old school Big Ten toughness and leadership to the room. Sophomore Floyd Boucard was another key rotational player during his true freshman season. 

Freshman Braeden Jones is a player to keep an eye on. The Chicago native is a versatile player that could tackle or end in his career. Redshirt junior Jamaal Jarrett is a massive body with his 6-foot-5, 375-pound frame. Redshirt freshman Cash Jacobsen, freshman Jake Johnson and redshirt sophomore Brendan Cho are vying for playing time. And freshman Malik Brooks will enroll this summer.

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