USC Trojans Hosting Breakout Transfer Portal Linebacker

Washington Huskies transfer linebacker Deven Bryant is coming off a breakout season. With two years of eligibility remaining, Bryant is visiting the USC Trojans. One element of his 2025 performance could prove useful to the USC Trojans' defense in 2026.

Sep 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans had a dominant team through the 2025 season and are now working to build upon their success. With the NCAA Transfer Portal officially open, USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans are being active, looking to fill in key pieces.

Despite going 9-4, the Trojans have to improve their defense. With that, On3’s Adam Gorney reported the Trojans will host former Washington Huskies linebacker Deven Bryant for a visit on Saturday.

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

Deven Bryant’s Breakout Season

In 2025, Bryant started in 10 games for Washington. Through 12 games, Bryant totaled 62 tackles, the third most on the team. He entered the portal with two years of eligibility remaining.

While he played the most snaps among linebackers for the Huskies, Washington had a talented defense this season. Notably, the team is set to have several returning players at the linebacker position, and Bryant could be looking for a program where he would earn more playing time.

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

“I’m most looking forward to connecting with the staff and seeing how they see me with the program,” Bryant told On3 ahead of his visit with USC. “USC is a school with a rich history and I’m excited to see how the visit goes today. I visited back in high school, but it’s going to be fun to visit again, this time as a prospect.”

One highlight of Bryant’s is his ability to stop the run. USC allowed 143.2 rushing yards per game and 4.35 yards per rush in 2025. If Bryant were to transfer to USC, he could bring added physicality to the defense.

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Bryant would likely have some competition if he were to commit to USC. Through the 2026 recruiting class, USC signed three linebackers, including four-star Talanoa Ili. Ili is the No. 62 recruit in the nation and No. 3 linebacker, per the Rivals Industry Ranking. The Trojans also announced the re-signing of linebacker Desman Stephens II.

Sep 2, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Nevada Wolf Pack in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC Smart To Bring In Linebacker Help

While USC is set to have a couple of talented linebackers on the team, bringing in additional support would help the defense.

The Trojans are losing star linebacker Eric Gentry to the 2026 NFL Draft. Even with the elite recruiting class joining the team, adding linebackers with playing experience, such as Bryant, can help take the Trojans’ defense to the next level.

One troubling area of USC’s 2025 defense that stood out was its tackling. In the Alamo Bowl, on the TCU Horned Frog’s game-winning touchdown, USC had opportunities to tackle running back Jeremy Payne.

Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Payne ended up scoring a 35-yard touchdown reception for the win, showing USC’s weakness on defense. The Trojans need to add players who have proven they can tackle, such as Bryant, to fix that glaring weakness.

Adding depth at each position is also important for a team looking to make a College Football Playoff appearance. USC faced injuries among several positions through the end of the season and had to rely on depth pieces to finish games. Even with recruiting and re-signing players, adding talented athletes is crucial when fighting for playoff contention.