The Scarlet Knights will have a bit of a wrinkle in the schedule this year.
Instead of beginning the year with three straight non-conference games, Rutgers will mix in USC in Week 3 in 2026.
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Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Cap. 93,607)
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Head Coach: Lincoln Riley (5th season)
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Offensive Coordinator: Luke Huard
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Defensive Coordinator: Gary Patterson
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2025: 9-4 (7-2 Big Ten) – 30-27 loss vs. TCU in Alamo Bowl
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2025 USC Season-in-Review
The 2025 edition of the Trojans displayed another strong passing attack under Lincoln Riley.
Jayden Maiava led the conference with 3,711 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He worked well with first-round pick Makai Lemon, who totaled 1,156 yards and 11 scores on 79 catches.
Despite a dynamic offense once again, USC struggled to beat the big dogs. It began the season 4-0 after wins against Purdue and Michigan State in Big Ten play before losses to Illinois and Notre Dame. A win against a less-than-impressive Michigan team was sandwiched in. USC also picked up a loss against Oregon late in the season. This came after a three-game win streak against Nebraska, Northwestern, and Iowa.
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Key Returners: Jayden Maiava, QB; Braylan Shelby, DL; Waymond Jordan, RB; King Miller, RB; Tanook Hines, WR; Zacharyus Williams, WR; Jide Abasiri, DL; Kameryn Crawford, LB; Braylan Shelby, LB; Desman Stephens II, LB; Christian Pierce, DB; Marcelle Williams, DB; Tobias Raymond, OL; Justin Tauanuu, OL; Alani Noa, OL; Elijah Page, OL; Kilian O’Connor, OL
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Incoming Class: Luke Wafle, DE; Mark Bowman, TE; Trent Mosley, WR; Talanoa Ili, LB; Madden Riordan, S; Keenyi Pepe, OL; Vlad Dyakonov, OL; Esun Tafa, OL
Strengths
Experience, offensive line, and quarterback play jump out immediately.
USC has the most returners in the nation, including starting QB Jayden Maiava and all five offensive lineman. Maiava led the conference in passing yards and finished fifth in the country. He returns as one of the nation’s most efficient passers and has an experience group up front, along with two strong runners in Waymond Jordan and King Miller. This duo averaged 6.3 yards per carry combined last season.
Maiava will have some new faces to work with as Tanook Hines becomes the team’s No. 1 option on the outside. He will be joined by Zacharyus Williams and N.C. State transfer Terrell Anderson, who was one of the top additions in the transfer portal.
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The Lincoln Riley-led Trojans have not been known as a defensive juggernaut by any means. What to look for this year is strong play in the middle. Desman Stephens II led the team with 89 tackles last season and returns to lead a trio with Jadyn Walker and Elijah Newby.
The pass-rush duo of Kameryn Crawford and Braylan Shelby combined for 10 sacks last season. Throw Penn State transfer Zuriah Fisher in the mix and all of a sudden the USC front seven is an intriguing one in a loaded Big Ten.
Weaknesses
The offense reloaded at the wide receiver position but it is never easy to replace production like the Trojans had last season, including the Biletnikoff winner.
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Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane are gone after combining for 128 catches and 1,900 yards. This is where a majority of big plays came from and when those big plays weren’t hitting, the offense stalled at times. USC will work to be more balanced and keep possession by extending drives. Another year of Maiava could be key in accomplishing this goal.
On the defensive side of the ball, USC struggled to stop other teams — especially the best of the best.
That is why Gary Patterson was brought in to be the new defensive coordinator. He will work with a defense that returns a ton of talent but ranked 49th in the nation. Patterson will need to use his abilities to help the team stop third downs. Last season, USC allowed opponents to go over 40% on third down.
What to Expect?
Man, Week 3 in Piscataway, first Big Ten game of the year. This seems like a great early-season chance for Rutgers to earn a statement victory. Unfortunately, there are many questions around the Scarlet Knights this season and USC brings back the most experience in the nation. For a team that is looking to make the College Football Playoff, a loss to Rutgers in September is not ideal. On paper, the Rutgers’ defense, which was among the worst in the conference last year, will have trouble with an explosive Trojan attack. This feels like a 40+ point performance from USC at least.
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Nov. 28: vs. Michigan State
