Quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) at the line of scrimmage on Sept. 12 game against the University of Louisiana-Lafayette Credit: Matthew Diederich / Daily Trojan
In a career-defining year for head coach Lincoln Riley, the No. 12 USC Trojans (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) entered the 2026 season with high hopes and even higher expectations.
The return of redshirt senior quarterback Jayden Maiava has proven critical, recording 1,173 passing yards and 12 touchdown passes, through the team’s first four games, which each lead college football.?
On the ground, the pairing of redshirt sophomore running back King Miller and redshirt senior running back Waymond Jordan have proved to be more than enough, carving up opposing defensive lines on a weekly basis. Miller has run away with the title of lead running back, however, recording 100-yard rushing games in three of the first four matchups this year.
True freshman wide receivers Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt have eclipsed over 250 receiving yards, and have combined for seven touchdowns.?
Defensively, the pairing of freshman defensive end Luke Wafle and junior defensive tackle Jide Abasiri have made an impact, as Wafle has tallied 15 total tackles and Abasiri has over 10 tackles and a sack.
While the secondary has struggled to keep points off the board — 10 of 13 opposing drives in the red zone have resulted in scores — there have been several standout players, including safeties Christian Pierce and Kennedy Urlacher.?
Pierce, a senior, recorded his first interception of the season against Rutgers (0-3, 0-1) with a one-handed catch. Meanwhile, Urlacher, a junior, has double-digit tackles for the year and two sacks, both in a shutout win over Fresno State (2-1).
However, perhaps the best player in the defensive backfield has been senior cornerback Prophet Brown. In Brown’s latest game against the Scarlet Knights, he picked off Rutgers’ quarterback and brought it back to the house for a 99-yard pick-six — his second interception of the season.
With pressure mounting from fans, USC reaching the College Football Playoff would be a defining moment in Riley’s tenure with the Trojans.
