Trojans Turn Heads With Latest Preseason Ranking …
Will 2026 be the year that coach Lincoln Riley and USC breaks through and finally reaches the College Football Playoff?
Caden Handwork/Kendell Hollowell (si.com) — The 2026 college football season could be a special one for the USC Trojans and a year that their fans have been waiting for, as the team is primed to make a run at the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.
Entering what will be the fifth season under coach Lincoln Riley, the Trojans return well-regarded quarterback Jayden Maiava, a high-powered offense, and welcome in the No. 1-ranked 2026 recruiting class.
With these returns and additions, the Trojans are considered a top team in several preseason rankings. Phil Steele recently released his college football preseason poll, ranking every FBS team from No. 1 to No. 138, and the Trojans are No. 10 entering the 2026 season.
Three Big Ten teams rank ahead of the Trojans including the Oregon Ducks (No. 2), Ohio State Buckeyes (No. 4), and Indiana Hoosiers (No. 6). The Trojans will play all three of those teams during the regular season including playing the Buckeyes and the Ducks at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum and traveling to Bloomington for a mid-November matchup against the defending national champions and newest “darling of college football.”
Coming off a 9-3 regular season in 2025, the Trojans will likely need to finish 10-2 to make a strong case for making the CFP. That would mean pulling off an upset against either of these three teams.
Keys to USC Trojans Making College Football Playoff
The Trojans have the talent to make the CFP, but the question is: can they? There will be many keys to success that will play into Riley and the Trojans earning signature wins during the 2026 regular season and punching their ticket to the College Football Playoff next season.
Defense is one of those keys to success for the Trojans. With the return of several stars from last season’s roster, the Trojans bring in former TCU Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson as their new defensive coordinator following D’Anton Lynn’s departure to Penn State Nittany Lions for the same position.
Defense has ultimately held them back from making the CFP in Riley’s tenure as USC’s coach. That struggle was on display last season, as all three of the Trojans’ regular-season road losses featured their defense giving up 30-plus points.
With Patterson now at the helm as defensive coordinator, the former TCU coach brings a new identity and toughness to the Trojans’ defense. This new style of play could help the Trojans pull off massive wins against some of the toughest teams on their 2026 Big Ten schedule.
Why Jayden Maiava’s Leadership Is X-Factor For Trojans
Sometimes erratic QB Jayden Maiava’s leadership, which has grown this offseason, will also be a key to the Trojans’ success. The Big Ten’s leading passer last season, Maiava has the opportunity to build off his recent success and be an underrated contender for the Heisman Trophy.
Cutting down on turnovers is the key for Maiava. In addition to throwing for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns, Maiava threw 10 interceptions last season. Seven of the 10 interceptions thrown by Maiava came in the Trojans’ three regular-season road losses and the overtime defeat to the TCU Horned Frogs in the Alamo Bowl.
In some of the Trojans’ marquee matchups next season, USC can’t afford to turn the ball over, as one turnover could be the difference between victory and defeat, and as last year showed, either making the CFP or missing yet again.
Possible Dynamic Run Game in 2026
The run game is expected to be a strength for USC this fall. In addition to Waymond Jordan (2) returning the lineup, the Trojans bring back redshirt sophomore King Miller. The former walk-on shined last season in Jordan’s absence, rushing for 972 yards on 156 carries and eight touchdowns, and added 16 receptions for 111 yards.
Jordan was limited the first couple of weeks of spring practice. He underwent a cleanup procedure on that injured ankle during USC’s spring break and was sidelined for the final two weeks.
“This spring was more of a maintenance deal, just to clean some things up,” said running backs coach Anthony Jones. “He’s handled it well, he’s a phenomenal spirit. He’s done a great job of just preparing himself the best way. He’s training hard, he’s rehabbing hard. He’s done a really good job of just taking what he’s able to do, and doing it an extremely high level.”
Redshirt freshman Riley Wormley is wrapping up his first healthy offseason with the program. Wormley arrived last spring still recovering from a significant knee injury he suffered midway through his senior season in high school. He gained valuable experience late last season, appearing in three games.
Wormley will continue battling a pair of blue-chip recruits in fall camp, Deshonne Redeaux, the No. 4 running back, and Shahn Alston, the No. 8 running back in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.
It’s a room that will have the luxury of returning an offensive line that returns all five starters from a year ago. It’s a unit with tremendous depth and position flexibility and because of that they could do some reshuffling with the lineup in the fall.
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The pre-season articles and now rankings all point to USC having the talent to make the playoff. Other teams in the top 10 can be said to be the same thing. So what makes the difference? The coaching! Will this Trojan coaching staff get our players to play to their potential, play together cohesively and disciplined? Who else will
make a difference?
Yes…….we finally have recovered from the Helton era. The roster for the first time in a long time has a legit chance to win most of its games. We have depth! We have juniors and seniors on our lines! We have a special teams coach! We have a defensive coach that has done it! We have an experienced QB that knows the playbook!
We have Riley. Well…..5 out of 6 ain’t bad. LOL.
Caden Handwork/Kendell Hollowell (si.com) — The 2026 college football season could be a special one for the USC Trojans and a year that their fans have been waiting for, as the team is primed to make a run at the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.
Three Big Ten teams rank ahead of the Trojans including the Oregon Ducks (No. 2), Ohio State Buckeyes (No. 4), and Indiana Hoosiers (No. 6). The Trojans will play all three of those teams during the regular season including playing the Buckeyes and the Ducks at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum and traveling to Bloomington for a mid-November matchup against the defending national champions and newest “darling of college football.”
Defense is one of those keys to success for the Trojans. With the return of several stars from last season’s roster, the Trojans bring in former TCU Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson as their new defensive coordinator following D’Anton Lynn’s departure to Penn State Nittany Lions for the same position.
Sometimes erratic QB Jayden Maiava’s leadership, which has grown this offseason, will also be a key to the Trojans’ success. The Big Ten’s leading passer last season, Maiava has the opportunity to build off his recent success and be an underrated contender for the Heisman Trophy.
The run game is expected to be a strength for USC this fall. In addition to Waymond Jordan (2) returning the lineup, the Trojans bring back redshirt sophomore King Miller. The former walk-on shined last season in Jordan’s absence, rushing for 972 yards on 156 carries and eight touchdowns, and added 16 receptions for 111 yards.
The pre-season articles and now rankings all point to USC having the talent to make the playoff. Other teams in the top 10 can be said to be the same thing. So what makes the difference? The coaching! Will this Trojan coaching staff get our players to play to their potential, play together cohesively and disciplined? Who else will
make a difference?
Yes…….we finally have recovered from the Helton era. The roster for the first time in a long time has a legit chance to win most of its games. We have depth! We have juniors and seniors on our lines! We have a special teams coach! We have a defensive coach that has done it! We have an experienced QB that knows the playbook!
We have Riley. Well…..5 out of 6 ain’t bad. LOL.