Freshmen Receivers Shining for USC Trojans in Spring Practice

USC has put a premium on recruiting Southern California over the past two cycles.

And through the few weeks of spring practice, the Trojans are starting to see the effect of it, particularly with their pass-catchers.

New Weapons for Quarterback Jayden Maiava

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Spring Practice Coliseum Mater Dei Mark Bowman Luc Weaver Trent Mosley Injury Tron Baker Recruiting — Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When asked last week about which receivers have stood out this spring, redshirt sophomore defensive back Isaiah Rubin quickly mentioned freshmen Trent Mosley and Tron Baker.

Mosley comes from an extremely athletic family. Both of his parents were star athletes at Notre Dame. His older sister, Jalyn, played soccer at Iowa. And Mosley’s older brother, Emmett V, is a wide receiver at Texas. So it was only natural the Trojans freshman receiver was destined for stardom as well.

He is decorated player in the state of California having been named the Trinity League’s Co-Most Valuable Player as a sophomore and MaxPreps California Player of the Year as a senior while playing at Santa Margarita (Calif.). Mosley has hit the ground running from day one and drawn comparisons to Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon because of their similar frame and skillset. Mosley is a strong candidate to replace Lemon in the slot as a true freshman.

Baker was the Trojans first commit in the 2026 cycle when he announced his pledge in the fall of 2023, his sophomore year. The Sierra Canyon (Calif.) product has been making noise this spring and someone that could very much find himself in the receiver rotation from day one. His play has caught the attention of several people around the program, including former USC All-American receiver Mike Williams.

Luc Weaver was a fast riser in the recruiting rankings last spring and took about a week to announce his commitment after receiving an offer from the Trojans. The Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame four-star receiver is a great blend of size and speed at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. Weaver reeled in a touchdown from quarterback Jayden Maiava during the team’s scrimmage this past weekend.

Freshman receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt was out last week as he deals with a soft tissue injury but the Mater Dei (Calif.) product was as good advertised during the first couple weeks of practice. It’s going to be very hard for the No. 6 receiver according to 247Sports not to see the field immediately in the fall.

With sophomore receiver Tanook Hines out this spring because of an offseason procedure, it has allowed the younger guys to get more reps over this past month and build a strong rapport with Maiava.

“What a phenomenal opportunity for all those other guys to develop and take advantage of those reps,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said earlier this spring.

Mark Bowman Solidifies Tight End Position

Tight end Mark Bowman is no ordinary freshman at the tight end position. That was clear throughout the recruiting process and the reason the five-star product was highly coveted across the country coming out of Mater Dei.

A source referred to Bowman as someone that “won the day” during the team’s scrimmage over the weekend. Bowman drew comparisons to Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers coming out of high school and it’s not hard to see why. The Trojans tight end moves like a receiver in a tight end body and can certainly have a Bowers level impact from day one.

The tight end position became a big part of the USC offense this past season under Chad Savage in his first season with the program. Savage’s ability to develop the position was evident with Lake McRee having a career year in his fifth season. Bowman is ultra-talented and Savage can turn him into one of the top tight ends in the Big Ten, if not country as a true freshman.

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