USC Quarterbacks in NFL Entering Uncharted Territory This Season

The USC Trojans have two former quarterbacks starting in the NFL, and their 2026 seasons are both highly anticipated yet for different reasons.

Seattle Seahawks star and former USC quarterback Sam Darnold's climb to the top of the NFL, was unexpected by many, and now the question becomes if he can sustain that success.

usc trojans quarterbacks nfl sam darnold seattle seahawks super bowl chicago bears caleb williams lincoln riley heisman — Jun 11, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) speaks during Minicamp at Halas Hall. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

On the other hand, former Trojans Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams is entering year three in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, and he still seems to be working to reach his ceiling while already receiving loads of hype. As the Madden 27 cover athlete, Williams became the second former Trojan star to be featured on the Madden cover joining Troy Polamalu.

Sam Darnold's Super Bowl Hangover?

Darnold became the first signal-caller from USC Trojans history to lead his team to the Super Bowl, and the defending champions will hold that title throughout the season. The Trojans have a rich history of sending quarterbacks to the NFL, but Darnold will forever be the first former USC quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

Darnold and the Seahawks recently received their Super Bowl rings, but a banner hanging ceremony will surely come before Seattle's season opener, a Super Bowl rematch against the New England Patriots.

A lot of eyes will be on Darnold to see if he and Seattle can sustain the success or if the Seahawks will suffer the classic "Super Bowl hangover." Still, the former Trojans quarterback proved his ability to win at the highest level and in pressure situations, something that started to develop at USC.

Dec 29, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) signals prior to the snap of the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2017 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Darnold's biggest wins at USC included a 52-49 win over Penn State in the 2017 Rose Bowl after the 2016 regular season. The next year, he led the Trojans to a Pac-12 Championship over Stanford, and USC has not won a conference title since Darnold led the team to one in 2017.

Darnold has catapulted himself to new levels of success in the NFL, but he exited USC as one of the top quarterback prospects in his class. After leading the Pac-12 with 4,143 passing yards in 2017, he was ultimately drafted No. 3 overall by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft. The former Trojans star bounced around the league, playing for Carolina, San Francisco, and Minnesota before landing in Seattle.

Excitement Around Caleb Williams Not Slowing Down

Darnold was the last USC quarterback to win a Pac-12 title with the Trojans, but Williams is the last quarterback to lead the program to a Pac-12 championship game. A hamstring injury suffered in the first quarter of the 2022 Pac-12 title game hampered Williams' ability to create outside of the pocket, and Utah beat USC 47-24.

Still, Williams became the latest protégé of USC coach Lincoln Riley to win the Heisman and be drafted No. 1 overall.

Now paired with Chicago coach Ben Johnson, Williams had his best season yet in the NFL in 2025, and the excitement has only grown before the upcoming season. His completion percentage dipped slightly from 62.5 to 58.1 percent, but his passing yards (3,942), touchdowns (27), and QBR (58.2) all increased while only throwing one more interception (7).

His late game heroics were on display as Chicago came back to defeat Green Bay in the first playoff win of Williams' career, but the Bears' run ended with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.

Heading into 2026, can Williams and the Bears continue to move forward in Johnson's second year leading the franchise?

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