Football looking much improved since 2024, Riley says
With kickoff approaching, USC must prove its caliber following lackluster seasons.
By AVANI LAKKIREDDY
If there is one sentiment that has defined the Trojan football atmosphere in the last year, it has been that of unfulfilled potential and last-minute losses.
Head Coach Lincoln Riley’s first three years have been underwhelming at best and disastrous at worst. His best season came in 2022 with star Caleb Williams at starting quarterback, going 11-3 before ultimately losing in crunch time in the Pacific-12 Championship. The rest has been a grab bag of mediocrity, with Riley at the helm of a program that was once a powerhouse.
Still, Riley is only 41 years old, and the program he inherited from previous Head Coach Clay Helton was nowhere near the championship brood of the early-2000s Pete Carroll days. But for a coach who was supposed to breathe life back into football at USC and do more of what he accomplished at Oklahoma, the general consensus is disappointment after disappointment. It’s clear to critics and fans — and surely Riley and his locker room — that the 2025 season must at least gesture toward a better future for what was once a storied USC football program.
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“The depth, the talent level, and the size of the defensive line, I mean, there’s honestly really no comparison to this time 12 months ago,” Riley said of his team, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Maiava looks past 2024 turnover troubles
Unquestionably, redshirt junior Jayden Maiava will start at the quarterback position for USC after taking over for Miller Moss late last season, and leading the Trojans to three wins in four games after making a name for himself first as a freshman at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The Maiava-led Trojans fell only in a thrilling game against eventual championship contenders Notre Dame.
“You can just feel Jayden being more comfortable in his own skin and more comfortable being one of the leaders of this football team, and operating this offense,” said USC Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach Luke Huard. “You just feel an improved and elevated level of confidence with the way he’s going about his business.”
The game against the Fighting Irish, however, displayed Maiava’s propensity for incompletions and turnovers. Two of his interceptions led to Notre Dame touchdowns, and Maiava also threw three more interceptions against Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl, before the Trojans pulled through for a razor-thin 35-31 victory.
“Honestly, all areas I have been trying to work on,” said Maiava in a post-practice press conference on Aug. 8. “Mentally, [I’ve worked on] keeping a neutral mindset. I can’t get too high and can’t get too low.”
Quarterback Jayden Maiava rushers during a 2024 contest. (Ethan Thai / Daily Trojan file photo)
As for the Trojans’ receiving core, junior Makai Lemon had a breakout season last year, leading USC with 764 yards and catching 3 touchdowns. Lemon — who played intermittently in his freshman season — also showed consistency as a sophomore, playing all but one game.
Junior wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane also performed well last season, capping off his sophomore year with a 127-yard, 3-touchdown performance against the Aggies at the Las Vegas Bowl. Lane, who also caught the go-ahead touchdown in USC’s rivalry win against UCLA last season, has not started to practice as of Aug. 8 due to injury but is close to returning, according to Riley.
“We’re all trying to be on the same page with everyone and build that chemistry with each other. The whole receiver room, I’m really trying to get the ball to,” said Maiava in a post-practice press conference on Aug. 8.
Trojans have strong backfield depth post-Marks
With previous starting running back Woody Marks now wearing red and blue as a Houston Texan, the Trojans have turned to the promising junior running back Waymond Jordan, who transferred from Hutchinson Community College this year.
Jordan was ranked the No. 1 junior college running back in the nation by ESPN, On3 and 247Sports, a veteran background that Riley and Running Back Coach Anthony Jones Jr. hope to capitalize on.
“[Jordan’s] been phenomenal. He’s a great student of the game. He’s very serious, detailed and accountable. He’s a leader without saying he’s a leader,” said Jones Jr. in a July 28 post-practice press conference.
Sophomore running back Bryan Jackson and redshirt senior running back Eli Sanders have also impressed in practice, with both joining Jordan on the Doak Walker Award Watch List, an annual award that names the best college running back in the country.
The 2024 offensive line huddles after a game. (Ethan Thai / Daily Trojan file photo)
The offensive line has been a large problem for Trojan offenses in seasons past, a glaring hole for a program that has routinely had satisfactory recruiting in other offensive groups. Especially this season, the Trojans must fill three out of five positions after losing as many starters this spring.
Both linemen Emmanuel Pregnon and tackle Mason Murphy left through the transfer portal after last season, while the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted center Jonah Monheim. All three starters have left holes in the line for the upcoming season.
“Everything is open-ended,” said Offensive Line Coach Zach Hanson in a July 28 press conference. There’s always an opportunity to win or lose the job. I’ve got 18 guys that are ready to go out and compete for the five spots that are available.”
Additionally, presumed starting left guard DJ Wingfield’s transfer waiver was denied by the NCAA, putting the redshirt senior’s future as a Trojan at risk. Wingfield filed a lawsuit against the NCAA July 28, which was heard Aug. 18 in the United States District Court.
A veteran lineman was a piece of what the Trojans needed with the departure of Pregnon, Murphy, and Monheim. Instead, Riley has mentioned redshirt sophomore Tobias Raymond as a potential player for left guard. Sophomore Micah Banuelos and redshirt freshman Kaylon Miller appear poised to compete for Wingfield’s spot.
What’s up with D’Anton Lynn’s new defense?
On the other end of the ball, Riley and Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn have explored multiple options at the cornerback position, one of which was redshirt senior Prophet Brown, who impressed early in fall camp.
However, Brown suffered a non-contact injury during practice on Aug. 8 and is expected to be out for at least part of the season.
“Hate it for him because he’s been playing really well,” said Riley in a post-practice press conference. “Obviously [he] has had one of the more rapid ascents [this fall] in terms of all the years that he’s been here.”
Even though Brown played all three corner spots in camp, he fit the best at the slot corner, a position that the Trojans are lacking in starting the 2025 season. Transfer redshirt senior corner DJ Harvey, however, has some experience in the slot, according to Lynn.
“[Brown has] taken a big step,” said Lynn in a post-practice press conference. “Outside of [redshirt junior safety Kamari Ramsey], I would say there’s no one on the back end that knows the defense quite like him.”
Redshirt senior linebacker Eric Gentry and 2024 defensive lineman Bear Alexander celebrate after a play. (Ethan Thai / Daily Trojan file photo)
USC’s defensive line appears promising, hopeful in its second year under Lynn. Returning to the field is redshirt senior linebacker Eric Gentry, who, before an injury in his fifth game of last season, picked up two sacks, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery.
When asked about the hardest player to play against at USC, Maiava immediately singled out Gentry as a defensive weapon, with great coverage and skill.
“It’s obviously tough playing against him,” said Maiava in an Aug. 8 press conference. “He’s such a great player to play against, and I’m super blessed to have him on my team so I don’t have to worry about playing him on Saturdays.”
Sophomore defensive end Kameryn Fountain and redshirt junior defensive tackle Devan Thompkins are also players to keep an eye on, hopefully developing past their lackluster first seasons under Lynn. Also, five-star freshman defensive end Jakheem Stewart will play in his first college football season on the Trojan defensive line after reclassifying to the class of 2025. Stewart, widely known for his athleticism and linear reach in his high school seasons, was the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2026 before reclassifying.
Newcomers and key matchups
As for newcomers this season, USC has picked up 16 players after losing 27 to the portal. Some notable additions include Harvey, Sanders, Wingfield and redshirt senior offensive lineman J’Onre Reed, who will presumably start at center in lieu of draftee Monheim.
True freshman standouts are hard to come by in college football, especially in the maelstrom of the portal, but Stewart, quarterback Husan Longstreet, offensive tackle Aaron Dunn, offensive linebacker Matai Togoa’i, offensive tackle Alex Payne, safety Kendarius Reddick and cornerback Trestin Castro all made ESPN’s Top 300 in recruits for the Class of 2025, and have been staples of USC’s fall camp.
Alongside 2025 transfers, a bright spot in the storm for Trojan fans will be the Class of 2026, currently hailed as the No. 2 recruiting class in all of college football by 247Sports.
Riley has once again begun to focus on California-grown talent, a model seemingly perfected by women’s basketball Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb. Now, USC has signed two five-star and 17 four-star recruits, with 17 total recruits hailing from California.
USC will face off against Notre Dame in the 96th iteration of the rivalry Oct. 18, but the matchup’s future is unclear. Shown is the Nov. 30, 2024 game. (Ethan Thai / Daily Trojan file photo)
Hopefully for Trojan fans — and maybe Riley himself — USC will be firing on all cylinders this season. Key matchups include rivalry games against UCLA on Nov. 29 and Notre Dame on Oct. 18 and College Football Playoff contender Oregon on Nov. 22, with the latter two undoubtedly being USC’s toughest tests this season.
USC has not played its former Pacific-12 foe, the Oregon Ducks, since the conference disbanded. This season, Riley and crew will travel to Eugene for a road test against the nation’s No. 7-ranked Ducks, according to the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll. Notre Dame has also taken a spot on the list, ranked No. 6.
The Trojans received some votes in the coaches’ poll, falling into the “Other Receiving Votes” category, failing to breach the top 25.
The game against Notre Dame also has historical significance, as the 96th iteration of the iconic rivalry game may very well be one of the last times the two teams face each other for the Jeweled Shillelagh. Both teams are currently only scheduled to meet through 2026, threatening a departure from a rivalry that has lasted nearly 100 years.
USC Athletics itself has been the main holdup in rescheduling the game, fearing that a powerful Fighting Irish team may put a wrench in championship plans if rivalry games do not go in favor of the Trojans.
“If you get in a position where you’ve got to make a decision on what’s best for SC to help us win a national championship versus keeping [the rivalry], shoot, then you’ve got to look at it,” Riley said in a press conference.
With football ramping up to its late-August home opener, fans can expect the season to be more tense than usual, with players and coaches — and the program itself — fighting to reclaim their spot as football royalty in an ever-changing CFB landscape.
To kick off the season, the Trojans take on Missouri State University at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 4:30 p.m.
