USC Trojans Stock Report: Risers and Fallers After Week 1 Win vs. Fresno State

The No. 14 USC Trojans are shaping up to be one of the more dangerous teams early on in the 2026 season. As expected, USC is 2-0 after their Week 0 win over San José State and their Week 1 shutout of Fresno State.

While these were games the Trojans were expected to dominate, Week 1 showed that those expectations have not meant much for some of the other highly ranked teams across the country. Fellow Big Ten foe Oregon struggled against Boise State, going back and forth with the Broncos until the fourth quarter before pulling away for a seven-point win.

Michigan was yet another team with high expectations that failed to meet them. The Wolverines were a 27.5-point favorite to take down Western Michigan, per DraftKings, but also struggled in a game that came down to a Hail Mary with one second left on the clock.

USC Fresno State Jayden Maiava Trent Mosley Kennedy Urlacher King Miller Deshonne Redeaux Ethan Feaster Week 1 stock report — Michigan wide receiver JJ Buchanan (6) catches a 47-yard touchdown on a Hail Mary against Western Michigan to win, 13-12, as time expires in the fourth quarter at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

USC, on the other hand, handled business exactly as they were expected to, and that should not be ignored. The Trojans also showed us more about what this team can be.

The game featured a standout performance from veteran quarterback Jayden Maiava, the defense looked like one of the best in the nation behind new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson’s new scheme, and the pass game was explosive, with Terrell Moseley building off his dominant Week 0 performance and showing his consistency.

There are plenty of players whose stock is rising after Week 1’s victory over Fresno State, but there are also a few players who, despite a shutout victory, did not meet expectations and saw their stock take a hit after Week 1.

Here are three USC players whose stock is rising and three whose stock is falling after the Trojans’ Week 1 shutout of Fresno State.

Three USC Players Rising, Three Falling After Trojans’ Week 1 Shutout:

Players Rising:

Quarterback Jayden Maiava

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava’s stock continues to rise after another impressive performance. Across the Trojans’ first two games, Maiava has done exceptionally well and is starting to shape up as a legitimate Heisman dark horse candidate.

The Trojans have looked dominant across their first two matchups, and if these kinds of performances carry over into conference play, USC could very well be competing for a national championship come January. If that happens and Maiava continues to build upon the foundation he has established through these first two games, he could very well be a name we see in the Heisman conversation.

In fact, following USC’s shutout of Fresno State, Maiava saw his Heisman odds improve from +2500 to +2000, according to DraftKings. While there are still plenty of players ahead of him, his slow rise is telling.

Maiava completed 23-of-25 passes for 349 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions against Fresno State. His 92 percent completion rate was the highest single-game mark by a Trojan passer with at least 25 attempts since at least 1995.

Even more impressive, he did it while USC’s running game struggled to get going. He was able to consistently attack Fresno State through the air, averaging 14 yards per attempt and putting the Trojans’ offense in a position to pull away early.

Through two games, Maiava is now 48-of-54 for 635 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Receiver Trent Mosley

Freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley entered the 2026 season overshadowed by some of the other names in USC’s wide receiver room, but through the first two games, he has quickly established himself as one of Maiava’s most reliable weapons.

After enrolling early in the spring and getting a head start on USC’s offense, Mosley has taken advantage of his early opportunities. He opened the season against San José State with seven catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. With that performance, he became the first USC true freshman receiver to record more than 100 receiving yards in his collegiate debut since JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2014.

He followed that up with another huge performance against Fresno State. Mosley caught four passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 26 yards per reception.

His biggest play came in the second quarter when he caught a 68-yard touchdown from Maiava, splitting the Fresno State defense and using his speed to take the ball all the way to the end zone. He added another touchdown before halftime, which gave him two scores in just over a half of football.

Through two games, Mosley has already shown that he can be much more than a freshman receiver getting early opportunities. He has become one of Maiava’s biggest explosive-play threats, and his consistency through the first two weeks makes his stock one of the easiest to put on the rise.

Safety Kennedy Urlacher

Junior safety Kennedy Urlacher was one of the biggest reasons USC’s defense made such a statement against Fresno State. Urlacher finished the game with two sacks, a tackle for a safety and a forced fumble as the Trojans pitched their first shutout since 2024.

In the second quarter, Urlacher tracked down Fresno State quarterback Jayden Mandal and drove him out through the back of the end zone for a safety.

The Trojans recorded two safeties in the game, something USC had never done in the program’s history before Friday night. In fact, the last team to record two safeties in a single game was Michigan back in 2023, a team that went on to win the national championship.

If this is what USC’s defense is going to look like moving forward, Urlacher could become one of the most important players on that side of the ball.

Players Falling:

Running Back King Miller

Redshirt sophomore running back King Miller’s stock took a slight hit after a relatively quiet performance against Fresno State.

Miller received the bulk of USC’s early-down workload, carrying the ball 15 times for just 45 yards, averaging 3.0 yards per carry with no touchdowns.

That production stood out even more because of how well the rest of USC’s offense performed. The Trojans averaged 8.1 yards per play; however, Miller struggled to provide much of a counter in the running game.

Take away his 10-yard run, and Miller finished with just 35 yards on his other 14 carries.

That doesn't mean Miller is suddenly out of the picture. He showed plenty of potential in Week 0 against San Jose State, and USC clearly still trusts him with a significant workload.

However, with the Trojans entering Big Ten play, the running game will need to become more consistent. A 3.0 yards-per-carry performance against a Group of 5 opponent is enough to raise some questions about Miller’s place in a crowded backfield.

Running Back Deshonne Redeaux

Freshman running back Deshonne Redeaux’s stock fell for a much different reason than Miller’s.

Redeaux only had two carries against Fresno State, finishing with seven yards and a touchdown, but what hurt him the most is that he fumbled.

The freshman clearly has the talent and explosiveness to make an impact. He showed that late in the fourth quarter when he bounced off contact for a five-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play, 79-yard scoring drive. But when you're fighting for touches in a crowded backfield, putting the ball on the ground can and will work against you.

USC already has several backs competing for opportunities. Miller received 15 carries, and fellow running back Waymond Jordan carried the ball 11 times for 67 yards and a touchdown, on top of that freshman Shahn Alston adding four carries for 20 yards.

His stock falling after this game is not about a lack of talent. Redeaux has plenty of upside, but with touches already limited, a fumble on one of his two carries makes it harder for him to earn a larger role moving forward.

Receiver Ethan "Boobie" Feaster

Ethan “Boobie” Feaster entered USC with a monumental amount of hype and anticipation. The five-star wide receiver reclassified from 2027 to 2026 and arrived in Los Angeles with massive expectations. However, through the first two games of his college career, his production has not matched the hype.

Against Fresno State, Feaster caught just one pass for four yards on one target, but at the same time, there is plenty of context to consider here.

Feaster is just 17 years old after reclassifying from the 2027 class. He is competing against older and more physically developed defensive backs. He also did not have the benefit of enrolling early like Mosley did, which gave him less time to adjust to USC’s offense.

Still, the reality is that his stock has taken a hit. Entering the season, there was an expectation that he could make an immediate impact. Through two games, that has not happened.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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