USC’s Lincoln Riley is facing a tough special teams decision
With about two weeks left before the season opener, kickers Ryon Sayeri and Caden Chittenden are locked in a battle for field goal and PAT responsibilities
USC kicker Ryon Sayeri kicks a field goal during last year’s 29-10 win over UCLA on Nov. 29 at the Coliseum. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Haley Sawyer (OC Register) — LOS ANGELES — USC football coach Lincoln Riley isn’t going easy on the kickers during training camp.
Caden Chittenden and Ryon Sayeri are locked in a special teams battle that has the coaching staff testing them at a high volume. It’s not for lack of faith in them.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever been in a situation as a coach where you have two guys that you believe in as much as I believe in them,” Riley said Friday afternoon.
Not only are their tasks frequent, but they’re also aggressive and challenging. Opposing special teams players are live-rushing them, and the kicks are from significant distances.
Chittenden (45) and Sayeri have taken on these challenges at practices and at the Coliseum, where the Trojans held a closed scrimmage on Wednesday morning, and they’ve both had plenty of in-game experience. Sayeri took over kickoff, field goal and PAT duties last season when Chittenden suffered a season-ending injury during fall camp. He broke the USC field goal record by making 21 of 25 attempts and also was a perfect 48 of 48 on PATs. He finished the season with 89 kickoffs for 5,715 yards (64.2 average) with 63 touchbacks.
“Last year’s entire situation was unique,” Riley said, “where I think there was probably a little bit of an assumption on the outside that it was going to be Chit. And then he gets hurt, Ryon came in and did a great job.
“I think 99.9% of players probably would have transferred out given how that played out. (Chittenden) wanted to stay here at USC and wanted to compete, and so I think that says a lot about him.”
Chittenden, a redshirt sophomore, set a new Mountain West Conference record when he hit 26 field goals as a freshman at UNLV. His season-long was a 52-yard field goal during a game played in a rainstorm at San Jose State.
Riley said Sayeri will handle kickoffs this season, but it’s still a toss-up as to who will handle field goals and PATs. It wouldn’t be surprising if both contributed in some way this season.
“They know it’s a battle, it’s a competition,” Riley said. “It’s unique, but I think they both respect each other.”
SCRIMMAGE TAKEAWAYS
USC had the opportunity to experiment with new offensive line combinations during Wednesday’s scrimmage in an attempt to find a new starting center. Previous starter Kilian O’Connor will not play due to a season-ending injury.
Riley said earlier in the week that Tobias Raymond, Kaylon Miller, Willi Wascher and Kannon Smith are all options. The scrimmage didn’t focus on schematics, meaning players could show what they learned against base offenses and defenses.
“We did some really good things at the line of scrimmage,” Riley said. “We had a couple blocks where we missed, and, obviously, we’ve got some pretty good defensive linemen that make life tough on you there.”
He added that he felt the running game behind the experimental O-lines was “hit or miss,” and that he felt the running backs ran hard but were impatient in goal-line situations.
FORMER TROJANS MAKE NFL DEBUTS
Former USC safety Kamari Ramsey, now a Houston Texans rookie, had an interception when he picked off Chargers quarterback Trey Lance during Thursday night’s preseason opener in Houston.
He returned the interception 38 yards to the Chargers’ 48-yard line just before halftime in the Texans’ 27-7 loss.
“The return – I mean I was just kind of tired,” Ramsey told reporters after the game. “It was kind of like two-minute. I just got what I could get. And then I saw the quarterback. They were telling me I should’ve ran the quarterback over, but I saw the big lineman right behind him, so I was like, I got the pick, I got some yards.”
Safety Bishop Fitzgerald had two tackles in his rookie debut with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday in the Titans’ 19-13 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Defensive end Anthony Lucas had one tackle in the Detroit Lions’ 16-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
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USC and BYU are actually tied for 14th, with 839 votes each. OHIO ST (40), ORE (14), ND (6), IU (8) and MIA (1) were the teams receiving first place votes.
Others receiving votes: Clemson 112, Florida 51, Boise State 43, Arizona 32, TCU 11, Navy 10, South Carolina 10, Illinois 9, Oklahoma State 8, Vanderbilt 8, Pittsburgh 7, Virginia Tech 6, Minnesota 5, UNLV 4, New Mexico 4, Georgia Tech 4, Louisiana 4, James Madison 3, Auburn 3, Memphis 2, California 2, Liberty 1, Western Michigan 1, Tulane 1, Virginia 1
ND strength of schedule ranking on some outlets
Phil Steele 67th
SI 112th
college football news 42nd
Their toughest games are Wisconsin, Miami, BYU, SMU
But they also play
Rice, Michigan State, Purdue, North Carolina, Stanford, Navy and Boston College….not exactly Monsters of the Midway
ND’s super easy schedule is one of the reasons everyone has them ranked so highly. Basically they can sleep walk into the playoffs. I think their laughable, puff puff lineup will be a topic causing the Irish public consternation and embarrassment all year. At least that’s what I’m hoping for. Then USC can beat them in the playoffs and make the world right again. The only thing more amusing than ND’s easy run is that Peter Herbstreit, ESPN GameDay analyst Kirk’s 2-year-old golden retriever, actually already has a paid NIL endorsement deal with Hertz. Peter will also make some game… Read more »
For those of us who care about polls, the preseason AP Top 25 will be released tomorrow at noon ET. USC was unranked in the AP preseason poll last season. Here’s how USC was ranked in the final 2025 AP poll: No. 1: Indiana Hoosiers (16–0) No. 2: Miami Hurricanes (13–3) No. 3: Ole Miss Rebels (13–2) No. 4: Oregon Ducks (13–2) No. 5: Ohio State Buckeyes (12–2) No. 6: Georgia Bulldogs (12–2) No. 7: Texas Tech Red Raiders (12–2) No. 8: Texas A&M Aggies (11–2) No. 9: Alabama Crimson Tide (11–4) No. 10: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10–2) No.… Read more »
20 +/- 2, is likely where they will be. I would be pleasantly surprised to see them make the top 15. Beat Oregon and they will start to earn some respect.
Trey Wright is certainly a great “get” for USC, assuming he even ends up at USC. So much can happen, especially in today’s NIL world. What if Riley leaves? Another disappointing year on the field and that’s a real possibility, especially if USC has some unexpected blow-out losses or messy performances. The expectations at USC are no joke. Fans finally expect true success, and that means the playoffs. There’s an awful lot of time that will go by (likely four years at least) before Wright will even take the field in a game for USC unless Jonas Williams (or some… Read more »
The problem with highlight film, or even fantastic stats, is that they often don’t tell you a lot, or certainly not the whole picture. I’ve seen plenty of amazing prep highlight films that made me think this kid should already be in the NFL. It can be very misleading. That said, I’m very glad Riley took Trey Wright’s commit. He looks like a real player to me, regardless of his alleged 5-9.5″ height. The most important thing about a quarterback is his head. Until we know a lot more about Wright’s cranium, attitude, leadership abilities, and heart, we won’t really… Read more »
Heisman Trophy winner/#1 pick Kyler Murray, who played under Lincoln Riley at OU from 2017-18, video messages Trey Wright after 2028 QB commits to USC “You’re in great hands!”
Is this the type of recruit you take if you’re going to be running a balanced offense with a powerful running attack?
Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama.and ND did not offer.
Sounds like a perfect fit for an air raid offense. So much for….he is learning.
National Total Yardage Leader: Wright led all of HS football nationally in total yardage during his soph campaign. He accumulated 5,860 total yds (4,062 passing and 1,798 rushing), outgaining every single varsity QB in America, including juniors and seniors. 2025: Led Lone Star to a 15-1 record and Texas 5A D-I state runner-up finish in a breakout soph season. Threw for 4,042 yds, 38 TDs, and 7 INTs on 211-for-313 passing (.674). Ran for 1,798 yds and 16 TDs on 10.8 ypc (163 attempts). Logged five 300-yd passing performances, including 502 in a 58-38 state quarterfinal win against Highland Park.… Read more »
Riley just inked a great QB, who excels at running and passing. And you are complaining? Would you feel better if he signed a QB who was a great runner with no arm? I will take Kyler’s endorsement over yours.
No……I’am not expecting you to accept any endorsement…. I’m simply pointing out that this recruit fits an air raid perfectly. Which does not work in the BIG. He might be another Kyler Murray…..and that worked at OK…..at 5′ 9″ there is a big difference is how an offense must operate. When you Travel to play Michigan in November for a big important game in two years and try…..good luck. Why is it that ND, Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia and Bama did not offer. I’ll stay with their judgment instead of yours…..or Riley’s.
This kid is 16 about to start his Junior season, then his senior season, then arrive at USC for spring of ’28 at the earliest. If all goes well Jonas Williams will start for USC in ’27 and ’28. Wright may start in ’29 or transfer because Williams is on a Heisman run. A lot can happen, physically, mentally, on and off the field for this guy. But I hope he stays a Trojan and wins a NC.
I too am concerned just about his height when in his senior year. How many knocked down passes at the LOS did Booty & Haden suffer being under 6 ft? Let’s just hope he spirts up 2-3 inches in 2-more years to put this concern to bed.
Jam,
Personally I’am not trying to make a statement over his talent…..what I was trying to say is that his recruitment is a heavy indicator that our head coach still wants to run an air raid.
USC has always recruited among the premier QB recruits…..why are we dipping into the 3 star ranks.
You can probably bet the farm by the end of this upcoming season he will have interest from all the teams you feel set the standard. He will end up a 5*, if he continues his play, Riley got to him early and the kid fell in love with USC and Riley. Not sure what kind of QB you would look for beyond this kids talents, he throws and runs very well. I think we need to consider Riley is willing to run the ball if he has a line that opens the holes. A couple of weeks we will… Read more »
So far, Riley’s been a big flop running the ball, especially when it counts and in big games. In year five, hopefully he has the guts, smarts and talents to field a USC team that finally doesn’t get pushed around like all past USC teams have under Riley. I couldn’t care less what he did at OU when dinosaurs ruled the earth. At USC he’s been an Air Raid coach who often couldn’t punch his way through a paper bag against anybody any good. We’re all waiting for Riley to finally earn his pay check. And run the ball. He… Read more »
I ran into an interesting statistic about kickers a while back. Kickers are often the leading scorers in football. I’ve always thought of them as an extra player who added very little to the game, however they usually score when a team stalls out in field goal range and almost after every touchdown. The rest of the scoring is spread out over multiple players. As a side note when I read this story in today’s paper I noticed a mistake, which is corrected in your reprint. It said, “Kamari Ramsey had an ‘interceptions’ (plural)” which begs the question… did you… Read more »
I usually edit stories, throwing in my own color, photos, facts, words, minor corrections, etc. And I often update them, or combine and correlate with other stories or my own content to fully round out a theme, opinion, or fill in uncovered gaps, always giving credit to other authors.
In this instance, there was no need for me to edit your point. because I was working off the on-line version which was correct.
I still think of kickers as an extra person(not player) who adds very little to the game. I wouldn’t call them players. Most of them can’t tackle or block or perform the fundamentals of football. If the kick returner or punt returner gets past your special teams and the last man to make the tackle is the kicker….the chances of that happening are slim and none and none has a lot better chance than slim.They should do something about the field goals…maybe narrow the posts. Extra points should require the team to run a play to get it. Kicking it… Read more »
I agree pretty much that specializing on only one aspect of the game is not the sport I grew up with. Until I was about 10 years old players went both ways playing offense and defense. Then platooning became a thing. During my high school years kickoffs were about the only kind of kick seen at that level. High School teams I saw rarely kicked an extra point. Nobody wanted to be the kicker and field goals were unheard of. I saw a high school team punt after stalling at the 12 yard line when I was in high school.… Read more »
The opening day is getting closer and the anticipation around my house is crazy. I never realized when I married my wife I would have to deal with a total college football fanatic. She makes it fun and it sure gives us something to either talk about or debate about. I sure hope all of you are getting as excited as we are.
Chittenden (45) and Sayeri have taken on these challenges at practices and at the Coliseum, where the Trojans held a closed scrimmage on Wednesday morning, and they’ve both had plenty of in-game experience. Sayeri took over kickoff, field goal and PAT duties last season when Chittenden suffered a season-ending injury during fall camp. He broke the USC field goal record by making 21 of 25 attempts and also was a perfect 48 of 48 on PATs. He finished the season with 89 kickoffs for 5,715 yards (64.2 average) with 63 touchbacks.
USC and BYU are actually tied for 14th, with 839 votes each. OHIO ST (40), ORE (14), ND (6), IU (8) and MIA (1) were the teams receiving first place votes.
Others receiving votes: Clemson 112, Florida 51, Boise State 43, Arizona 32, TCU 11, Navy 10, South Carolina 10, Illinois 9, Oklahoma State 8, Vanderbilt 8, Pittsburgh 7, Virginia Tech 6, Minnesota 5, UNLV 4, New Mexico 4, Georgia Tech 4, Louisiana 4, James Madison 3, Auburn 3, Memphis 2, California 2, Liberty 1, Western Michigan 1, Tulane 1, Virginia 1
Hey John, are we having contest this season?
What I don’t get is ND has one of the weakest schedules in football and with this ranking to begin with they will stay in the top 5 all season.
ND strength of schedule ranking on some outlets
Phil Steele 67th
SI 112th
college football news 42nd
Their toughest games are Wisconsin, Miami, BYU, SMU
But they also play
Rice, Michigan State, Purdue, North Carolina, Stanford, Navy and Boston College….not exactly Monsters of the Midway
ND’s super easy schedule is one of the reasons everyone has them ranked so highly. Basically they can sleep walk into the playoffs. I think their laughable, puff puff lineup will be a topic causing the Irish public consternation and embarrassment all year. At least that’s what I’m hoping for. Then USC can beat them in the playoffs and make the world right again. The only thing more amusing than ND’s easy run is that Peter Herbstreit, ESPN GameDay analyst Kirk’s 2-year-old golden retriever, actually already has a paid NIL endorsement deal with Hertz. Peter will also make some game… Read more »
For those of us who care about polls, the preseason AP Top 25 will be released tomorrow at noon ET. USC was unranked in the AP preseason poll last season. Here’s how USC was ranked in the final 2025 AP poll: No. 1: Indiana Hoosiers (16–0) No. 2: Miami Hurricanes (13–3) No. 3: Ole Miss Rebels (13–2) No. 4: Oregon Ducks (13–2) No. 5: Ohio State Buckeyes (12–2) No. 6: Georgia Bulldogs (12–2) No. 7: Texas Tech Red Raiders (12–2) No. 8: Texas A&M Aggies (11–2) No. 9: Alabama Crimson Tide (11–4) No. 10: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10–2) No.… Read more »
20 +/- 2, is likely where they will be. I would be pleasantly surprised to see them make the top 15. Beat Oregon and they will start to earn some respect.
Trey Wright is certainly a great “get” for USC, assuming he even ends up at USC. So much can happen, especially in today’s NIL world. What if Riley leaves? Another disappointing year on the field and that’s a real possibility, especially if USC has some unexpected blow-out losses or messy performances. The expectations at USC are no joke. Fans finally expect true success, and that means the playoffs. There’s an awful lot of time that will go by (likely four years at least) before Wright will even take the field in a game for USC unless Jonas Williams (or some… Read more »
Highlight film doesn’t tell you everything but he does look good on highlight film.
The problem with highlight film, or even fantastic stats, is that they often don’t tell you a lot, or certainly not the whole picture. I’ve seen plenty of amazing prep highlight films that made me think this kid should already be in the NFL. It can be very misleading. That said, I’m very glad Riley took Trey Wright’s commit. He looks like a real player to me, regardless of his alleged 5-9.5″ height. The most important thing about a quarterback is his head. Until we know a lot more about Wright’s cranium, attitude, leadership abilities, and heart, we won’t really… Read more »
Heisman Trophy winner/#1 pick Kyler Murray, who played under Lincoln Riley at OU from 2017-18, video messages Trey Wright after 2028 QB commits to USC
“You’re in great hands!”
Is this the type of recruit you take if you’re going to be running a balanced offense with a powerful running attack?
Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama.and ND did not offer.
Sounds like a perfect fit for an air raid offense. So much for….he is learning.
Did you read his stats for his sophomore season?
nope……help me out
National Total Yardage Leader: Wright led all of HS football nationally in total yardage during his soph campaign. He accumulated 5,860 total yds (4,062 passing and 1,798 rushing), outgaining every single varsity QB in America, including juniors and seniors. 2025: Led Lone Star to a 15-1 record and Texas 5A D-I state runner-up finish in a breakout soph season. Threw for 4,042 yds, 38 TDs, and 7 INTs on 211-for-313 passing (.674). Ran for 1,798 yds and 16 TDs on 10.8 ypc (163 attempts). Logged five 300-yd passing performances, including 502 in a 58-38 state quarterfinal win against Highland Park.… Read more »
WOW I thought those stats were a mistake or something when I first saw them. It looks as though he may have some promise in the future, ya think?
Riley just inked a great QB, who excels at running and passing. And you are complaining? Would you feel better if he signed a QB who was a great runner with no arm? I will take Kyler’s endorsement over yours.
No……I’am not expecting you to accept any endorsement…. I’m simply pointing out that this recruit fits an air raid perfectly. Which does not work in the BIG. He might be another Kyler Murray…..and that worked at OK…..at 5′ 9″ there is a big difference is how an offense must operate. When you Travel to play Michigan in November for a big important game in two years and try…..good luck. Why is it that ND, Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia and Bama did not offer. I’ll stay with their judgment instead of yours…..or Riley’s.
This kid is 16 about to start his Junior season, then his senior season, then arrive at USC for spring of ’28 at the earliest. If all goes well Jonas Williams will start for USC in ’27 and ’28. Wright may start in ’29 or transfer because Williams is on a Heisman run. A lot can happen, physically, mentally, on and off the field for this guy. But I hope he stays a Trojan and wins a NC.
I too am concerned just about his height when in his senior year. How many knocked down passes at the LOS did Booty & Haden suffer being under 6 ft? Let’s just hope he spirts up 2-3 inches in 2-more years to put this concern to bed.
Jam,
Personally I’am not trying to make a statement over his talent…..what I was trying to say is that his recruitment is a heavy indicator that our head coach still wants to run an air raid.
USC has always recruited among the premier QB recruits…..why are we dipping into the 3 star ranks.
You can probably bet the farm by the end of this upcoming season he will have interest from all the teams you feel set the standard. He will end up a 5*, if he continues his play, Riley got to him early and the kid fell in love with USC and Riley. Not sure what kind of QB you would look for beyond this kids talents, he throws and runs very well. I think we need to consider Riley is willing to run the ball if he has a line that opens the holes. A couple of weeks we will… Read more »
So far, Riley’s been a big flop running the ball, especially when it counts and in big games. In year five, hopefully he has the guts, smarts and talents to field a USC team that finally doesn’t get pushed around like all past USC teams have under Riley. I couldn’t care less what he did at OU when dinosaurs ruled the earth. At USC he’s been an Air Raid coach who often couldn’t punch his way through a paper bag against anybody any good. We’re all waiting for Riley to finally earn his pay check. And run the ball. He… Read more »
I ran into an interesting statistic about kickers a while back. Kickers are often the leading scorers in football. I’ve always thought of them as an extra player who added very little to the game, however they usually score when a team stalls out in field goal range and almost after every touchdown. The rest of the scoring is spread out over multiple players. As a side note when I read this story in today’s paper I noticed a mistake, which is corrected in your reprint. It said, “Kamari Ramsey had an ‘interceptions’ (plural)” which begs the question… did you… Read more »
I usually edit stories, throwing in my own color, photos, facts, words, minor corrections, etc. And I often update them, or combine and correlate with other stories or my own content to fully round out a theme, opinion, or fill in uncovered gaps, always giving credit to other authors.
In this instance, there was no need for me to edit your point. because I was working off the on-line version which was correct.
I still think of kickers as an extra person(not player) who adds very little to the game. I wouldn’t call them players. Most of them can’t tackle or block or perform the fundamentals of football. If the kick returner or punt returner gets past your special teams and the last man to make the tackle is the kicker….the chances of that happening are slim and none and none has a lot better chance than slim.They should do something about the field goals…maybe narrow the posts. Extra points should require the team to run a play to get it. Kicking it… Read more »
I agree pretty much that specializing on only one aspect of the game is not the sport I grew up with. Until I was about 10 years old players went both ways playing offense and defense. Then platooning became a thing. During my high school years kickoffs were about the only kind of kick seen at that level. High School teams I saw rarely kicked an extra point. Nobody wanted to be the kicker and field goals were unheard of. I saw a high school team punt after stalling at the 12 yard line when I was in high school.… Read more »
And then, there’s always this!
Absolute Gold!
Guess 007 thinks the Rose Bowl should have ended in a tie. When it’s my team I will take a game winning FG anytime!
It doesn’t have to end in a tie. Surely, we can find some way to let real football players determine the final score
The opening day is getting closer and the anticipation around my house is crazy. I never realized when I married my wife I would have to deal with a total college football fanatic. She makes it fun and it sure gives us something to either talk about or debate about. I sure hope all of you are getting as excited as we are.