As USC opens the 2026 season, expectations are back at the surface: a Trojans team widely viewed as a contender must finally turn promise into a College Football Playoff berth. For coach Lincoln Riley and a fan base grown impatient, this campaign will measure whether recent roster gains and a major defensive hire can overcome years of near-misses.
Riley enters his fifth year in Los Angeles under pressure to deliver the program’s first Playoff appearance since the postseason expanded. The argument that expansion would have helped USC in past seasons lingers — notably for 2022 and several earlier teams — but the program’s leadership says incremental changes this offseason make 2026 different.
Jayden Maiava returning at quarterback is the most concrete reason for optimism. Since becoming the starter in 2024, Maiava produced among the nation’s top passing numbers: roughly 285.5 yards per game in 2025 and about 3,711 yards on the year, placing him among the FBS leaders. That continuity in the most important position gives Riley’s offense a clearer identity heading into the fall.
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At running back, the pairing of King Miller and Waymond Jordan — healthy together for the first time in a full season — raises the possibility of a powerful ground game. If both reach form, USC could see a rare offensive milestone: two 1,000-yard rushers in a single season, something the program hasn’t achieved since the mid-2000s.
The most significant roster-related move was off the field: the hiring of Gary Patterson as defensive coordinator. Patterson’s reputation for building physical, disciplined units traces back to his long run at TCU, where his teams were among college football’s stingiest. His preferred 4-2-5 alignment is expected to play to the strengths of USC’s front-line defenders — names the staff hopes will emerge as playmakers early in the year.
That defensive upgrade is not cosmetic. USC surrendered about 4.4 yards per carry last season; shoring up run defense and improving third-down stops are concrete, measurable goals Patterson brings with him.
- Quarterback stability: Maiava’s return provides an experienced centerpiece for the offense.
- Backfield depth: Miller and Jordan healthy together could create a top rushing attack.
- Defensive identity: Patterson’s 4-2-5 is designed to create more takeaways and limit big plays.
- Key matchups: Winning marquee non-conference and conference tests will be essential.
USC’s schedule piles pressure onto those strengths. Three high-profile opponents stand out: Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana — teams that combined to average well over 30 points per game last season. In simple terms, the Trojans cannot afford to lose more than one of those games if they hope to make the expanded Playoff field.
How those contests play out will reveal whether the offseason adjustments are real or just talk. Patterson’s scheme will be judged on how it performs against explosive offenses; the offense will be evaluated on whether it can sustain drives and limit turnovers in hostile environments.
Beyond Xs and Os, availability will be a deciding factor. Depth across the offensive line, the health of the running backs and turnover margin in close games are the fine margins that typically decide postseason access.
For Riley and USC, the stakes are straightforward: failure to reach the Playoff this year will amplify questions about progress during his tenure, while success would silence many skeptics and validate an offseason of targeted hires and player development.
In short, 2026 feels like a crossroads. The pieces on paper — an experienced quarterback, a deeper backfield and a veteran defensive architect — check the boxes. Now the Trojans must prove it on the field, beginning with the season’s opening weeks and the trio of matchups that will likely determine whether this is the year the program’s long Playoff drought finally ends.
