What's Changed for USC Trojans Running Back King Miller Following Breakout Season

Late in the second quarter of USC’s win over Michigan early last October, Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava faced pressure when he dumped off a pass to running back King Miller, who displayed a smooth spin move to lose a defender.

The play only resulted in a five-yard pickup, but Miller immediately caught the attention of those watching for two reasons — one for the nifty move and the other for who was in the game at running back for USC.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Waymond Jordan Michigan Wolverines King Miller Anthony Jones Spring Practice Jayden Maiava — Nov 1, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Southern California Trojans running back King Miller (30) scores against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Southern Cal saw its top two running backs go down with significant injuries in the first half against Michigan, including Waymond Jordan who hobbled off the field on one leg earlier in the drive because of an ankle injury, which ended his season. Their No. 3 running back, Bryan Jackson, was still listed as out at the time. So, the Trojans turned to a fourth-string walk-on in Miller, and he shined.

In an unforgettable night at the Coliseum, Miller carried the ball 18 times for 158 yards and one touchdown in an upset win over the No. 15 team in the country. And for the rest of the season Miller powered the Trojans run game.

Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said heading into last season that he believed this was the best running back room that he’s had at USC and Miller was a big reason. Riley consistently raved about him last spring and early in the season as he ripped off long touchdown runs in mop up duty.

The Calabasas, Calif., native became one of college football’s most fascinating stories last fall. Running backs coach Anthony Jones said in the spring that Miller has changed the word "walk-on" around the program. Now, comes expectations for the redshirt sophomore running back. Even Miller has no interest in looking at that past, his focus is solely on the season ahead.

“Yeah, it happened. But I'm on to the next,” Miller said in March. “I was ready to come back and get out here with my guys. Now it's time to take it up a knot.”

King Miller Makes Strides in the Spring

Miller changed two things this spring — his number and his body. The Trojans running back will wear No. 8 this fall. He was also one of several players that looked noticeably different during spring practice than when the season ended in late December.

USC went through their first offseason program under the direction of strength coach Trumain Carroll. Miller is up to 215 pounds. He looks different this spring and his position coach has also seen him make tremendous strides as a player.

“I think the game is slowed down for him a lot. Anytime you have the game slow down for you, that means you're a great student of the game," Jones said in April. "He's been studying a lot more, working on the small details of his game. He's done a really good job of kind of seeing things before they happen, and not guessing, but anticipating.

"I think there's a difference of that as well. When you guess, that means you're really not prepared, when you anticipate, that means you are prepared. King has done a really good job of being prepared for all the things that we've tried to throw at him this spring. He's seen pretty much every exotic blitz that coach [Gary] Patterson has probably drawn up thus far.

“And he's really smart. He goes in with offensive line every now and then to go over some protections. He sees things from a quarterback point of view. And I couldn't be more excited about his growth."

Balanced Offensive Attack

Riley became a more balanced play-caller in 2025 than he was in 2024.

The Trojans coach comes from the Air Raid system but has always understood the importance of a strong run game. Riley’s most successful offenses, dating back to his days as the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, have been the ones that could run the ball effectively at a high rate.

The return of Miller and Jordan and an offensive line with excellent depth and experience should be able to provide that in 2026.

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