College Football's No. 1 Recruiting Class Faces 'Most Pivotal' Season in 2026

This college football program is entering the most pivotal season in 2026 according to one media personality.

Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) throws a touch down pass against the Oregon Ducks during the first half at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

A little less than four months lie between the beginning of May and the opening weekend of the 2026 college football season.

The seemingly eternal wait is a time for college football fans and media to predict what may occur in the upcoming season. Among other forms, these predictions include general lists, top 25 rankings and College Football Playoff brackets.

Ari Wasserman of On3 released a list of the programs facing the most pivotal seasons across college football in 2026. Sitting atop Wasserman's list is USC, which enters its fifth season with Lincoln Riley at the helm.

There are plenty of likable aspects about the Trojans' 2026 team. For one, USC returns 15 of its 22 starters from 2025; wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane are the only departures from the offense, while the defense only replaces five of its starters from a season ago.

Additionally, the Trojans boast the No. 1 recruiting class from the 2026 cycle, headlined by five-star defensive end Luke Wafle and five-star tight end Mark Bowman.

Lincoln Riley has kept USC relatively stable following the tumultuous stretch under Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian and Clay Helton. The Trojans took backward steps in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but a nine-win regular season mark put the Trojans on the right track in 2025.

While the year is not "pivotal" in that an underwhelming season could cost Riley his job, the composition of this team gives the Trojans a chance to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

All three of the Big Ten's 2025 representatives in the College Football Playoff appear on the Trojans' 2026 schedule. USC will play Oregon at home at the end of September and Ohio State at home at the end of October. Following a bye week, the Trojans venture to Indiana for their first game in November.

Crossing time zones is another challenge that Big Ten teams have encountered over the last two seasons. USC is 2-6 in the eight games it has played in the central and eastern time zones in its two seasons as a Big Ten member.

Other teams facing pivotal 2026 seasons

South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer speaks with Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

USC is not the only program Wasserman listed that is in shape to make a College Football Playoff run for the first time in several years. LSU brought in plenty of talent out of the transfer portal to make a run in Lane Kiffin's first season on the job.

Utah is already in a very open conference, but the possibility of a year-long suspension for Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby could open the Utes' door for a run in 2026.

Clemson, Colorado and South Carolina are all teams on Wasserman's list who may look to fire coaches at the end of this season if the results are poor. The Buffaloes and Gamecocks employ coaches in the fourth and sixth years of their tenures, respectively, and both are coming off losing 2025 campaigns.

The Tigers are in the midst of a stale marriage with head coach Dabo Swinney, who is entering his nineteenth season on the job following a 7-6 finish in 2025.