Three Areas the USC Trojans Can’t Afford to Take a Step Back

After an Alamo Bowl loss and major offseason changes, the USC Trojans enter 2026 facing mounting pressure.

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

The USC Trojans enter 2026 under pressure. After a deflating Alamo Bowl loss to the TCU Horned Frogs, Lincoln Riley reshaped his roster and coaching staff with urgency. The message is clear: progress isn’t optional.

USC lost four of its top five pass catchers to the NFL and transfer portal. Defensive lineman Devan Thompkins bolted for Alabama. In response, Riley hired Gary Patterson to run the defense, added Paul Gonzales to the secondary, brought in Mike Ekeler to oversee special teams and linebackers, and elevated Skyler Jones (defensive tackles coach), AJ Howard (outside linebackers coach) and Chad Savage (passing game coordinator).

Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Now the Trojans must rely on a few strategic signings in the transfer portal, some key veteran returners and the No. 1 recruiting class in 2026 to step up in a year where the program that must win big. If USC is going to reach the College Football Playoff, three areas cannot regress.

Offense Must Remain Top Tier

USC’s offense carried this program for stretches in 2025. That standard cannot dip in 2026. Lincoln Riley built his reputation on elite quarterback play and explosive scoring, and with the defense undergoing a full-scale reset under Gary Patterson, the Trojans cannot afford growing pains on both sides of the ball at the same time.

The foundation starts with balance. King Miller’s emergence midway through last season changed the trajectory of the offense. After taking over in Week 7 against Michigan, he delivered four 120-plus yard rushing performances and gave USC a physical edge it had lacked in marquee matchups.

Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans running back King Miller (30) runs the ball while Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Tae Johnson (9) defends in the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

With Waymond Jordan returning from injury and the offensive line bringing continuity, the run game should evolve from survival mode to an identity piece. In the Big Ten, that matters. Controlling tempo will be a necessity in the gameplan against teams like the Indiana Hoosiers, Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks.

At the same time, Jayden Maiava must take what he did in his first full season as the Trojans starter and build on it. He led the Big Ten with 3,711 passing yards and threw 24 touchdowns, but the late-season interceptions told a different story. Seven picks across USC’s final eight games, including three multi-interception outings, shifted momentum in big games that demanded near-flawless execution.

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Now working with a younger receiving corps after losing Makai Lemon, Ja’Kobi Lane, and Lake McRee, Maiava’s margin for error narrows. Maiava is going to have to prove he can be a real floor raiser to elevate himself as a real Heisman Trophy contender and move his team up the Big Ten ladder.

If USC’s offense remains explosive and efficient, running with authority while protecting the football, the Trojans can absorb defensive growing pains. If it slips even slightly, the pressure surrounding Riley only intensifies.

The Kicking Game Must Stay Automatic

Special teams may not be the most glamorous thing to talk about, but for the Trojans it was a big part of both what helped and hurt them last season. How it helped was that freshman kicker Ryon Sayeri was one of the nation’s most reliable weapons in 2025. He converted 21 of 25 field goals, including a perfect 7-for-7 from 40-49 yards. He drilled a 54-yarder against Michigan. He hit all 48 extra points, the fifth-most in the country.

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans kicker Ryon Sayeri (48) kicks an extra point in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

He broke USC’s single-season field goal record and finished with 111 points, second nationally behind Indiana’s Nico Radicic. He earned All-Big Ten Third Team honors and became a Lou Groza Award semifinalist. That production flipped close games.

USC hired Mike Ekeler to elevate the third phase, but the core principle remains simple: don’t disrupt consistency. In a season that may feature tight conference matchups and playoff implications, reliable kicking is non-negotiable.

The Trojans Must Beat the Oregon Ducks

In what may be one of the toughest schedules in the Big Ten, there is one game that USC must have circled on the calender and that's their late-September showdown against the Oregon Ducks. Last season it was the Ducks who essentially ended the Trojans playoff hopes, handing them the 42-27 loss in Eugene in the second to last week of the regular season.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, and USC head coach Lincoln Riley shake hands before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In 2026 the tables turn where this time it is the Trojans who host the Ducks. The Trojans showed how dominant they can be in front of the home crowd going 7-0 in Los Angeles Memorial Stadium last season. Now with the sting of last season's deflating loss and the backdrop of cardinal and gold rooting for some sweet revenge, this comes as a must win.

Not to mention with this matchup coming towards the beginning of the season, the margin for error significantly shrinks afterwards with a loss. With a road game against the Penn State Nittany Lions and games against Indiana and Ohio State still looming after, an early loss to the Ducks could end up being the first domino to fall in the undoing of a promising season.

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