Entering the 2026 football season, USC’s roster is certainly in an interesting place. On one hand, the Trojans are a young team, having just signed a loaded 2026 recruiting class. However, USC will also have a strong veteran presence next season with numerous starters returning, including quarterback Jayden Maiava and the entire offensive line.
A recent social media exchange between Ryan Kartje of The Los Angeles Times and USC senior associate athletic director Cody Worsham highlighted the unique nature of the Trojans’ 2026 roster.
Advertisement
“Nearly half of USC’s spring football roster is made up of freshmen and redshirt freshmen,” Kartje wrote. “That young talent will get a ton of reps this spring. And that’s a good thing, considering their contributions could decide how the Trojans do in 2026.”
”Good story from Ryan.,” Worsham followed up. “Will also note that @uscfb returns 17 starters, the most in the Big Ten, and the only team in the country to return all 5 starting offensive linemen.
“Interesting and exciting combination of youth & experience.”
It will be very interesting to see how quickly USC’s young players are able to see the field in 2026. As mentioned, the Trojans have a lot of returning starters, meaning that playing time will be difficult to come by. However, some of USC’s incoming freshmen are talented enough that it will be difficult to keep them off of the field for very long.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football’s roster is high on both freshmen and returning starters
