Which USC Trojans Freshmen Could Make an Impact on Lincoln Riley's Offense?

There will always be eyes on USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley's high-powered offense, but which freshmen will make the biggest impact this season for the Trojans. Southern Cal opens the season on Aug. 30 against Missouri State.

Sep 30, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Chet Strange-Imagn Images | Chet Strange-Imagn Images

USC Trojans tight end Walker Lyons and running back Bryan Jackson were the only two players from the 2024 class on offense to not burn their redshirt last season. 

Lyons saw an increased role when starting tight end Lake McRee missed a month early in the season. And by the end of the season, he had overtaken Kade Eldridge as the team’s No. 2 tight end. Jackson served as the team’s No. 3 running back and was a key contributor on special teams. He and linebacker Desman Stephens were the only freshman to appear in all 13 games a year ago. 

Which freshmen will make an impact in 2025?

Quarterback 

Sep 30, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Chet Strange-Imagn Images | Chet Strange-Imagn Images

Five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet is extremely talented but the less USC fans see the Corona Centennial (Calif.) product in 2025, the better. It would mean redshirt junior Jayden Maiava has taken a big leap in his second season in the program. 

Backup quarterbacks typically don’t redshirt. He will more than likely play in the Trojans first two games against Missouri State and Georgia State. From there, it will be interesting to see if he does surpass the four-game limit, if Maiava remains the starter for the entire season.  

MORE: USC Trojans 5-Star Tight End Recruit Mark Bowman Dominating 7-on-7 Invitational

MORE: USC Trojans Recruit Addresses Reggie Bush, LenDale White Comparisons

MORE: USC Trojans Receive Interesting Label As Lincoln Riley Criticism Mounts

MORE: USC Trojans' Eric Henderson Playing Key Role In Recruiting Top In-State Prospect

“Just a guy that is all ball, Husan loves football,”said offensive coordinator Luke Huard. “He’s a guy that’s in the office a lot. You love that element of him and he’s just a kid that absolutely loves and is always hungry to learn.” 

Running Back 

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during a time out against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Harry Dalton, a high school quarterback, is a natural at the running back position. The four-star recruit is a decisive runner at 205 pounds. 

However, the room is stacked with Waymond Jordan, Eli Sanders and Jackson expected to be the team’s top three backs in the fall. Redshirt freshman King Miller is someone that should not be counted out in the rotation. 

“I think we have several people that have the opportunity to come out there and be extremely productive for us in the run game, as well as pass pro,” Huard said. “So you know, to be determined, wait and see, but we certainly have a lot of running backs that we feel like could go in the game when their number is called, and help us win football games and compete.”

Wide Receiver 

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Corey Simms was on campus in the spring and drew strong reviews from players and coaches. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound St. Louis native has a college ready frame and would be the first freshman to be featured in the rotation. He will also contribute on special teams. 

Tanook Hines and Romero Ison are speedy wideouts, but appear headed for a redshirt season. 

Expect the Trojans to use more two tight end packages with McRee and Lyons in the fall, which would limit the number of receivers the Trojans decide to use in the rotation this season. 

Offensive Line 

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

Redshirt freshman offensive tackle Justin Tauanuu would be the first player to come in at either tackle position, but the Trojans need one of its freshman to step up and be part of the two-deep rotation. 

USC signed three offensive tackles in the 2025 class in Alex Payne, Aaron Dunn and Elijah Vaikona. Barring any significant injuries at the position, all three could end up redshirting.