USC Trojans
Big Ten
4-8 (3-6 conf)
SP+ #81AP #14
Ratings
2021
- SP+
- -0.6 (#81)
- SP+ Offense
- 32.3
- SP+ Defense
- 33.4
- SRS
- 0.4
- FPI
- 1.7
- Elo
- 1481
- Talent
- 875
- Recruiting
- 281 (#8)
Schedule
record 4–8
Schedule
32nd
toughest of 130
Offenses faced
17th
toughest of 130
Defenses faced
31st
toughest of 130
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 130 (easiest).
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Margin | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsSan José State | -1.9 | 30-7 | +23 | W |
| 2 | vsStanford | -10.2 | 28-42 | -14 | L |
| 3 | @Washington State | +6.7 | 45-14 | +31 | W |
| 4 | vsOregon State | +8.9 | 27-45 | -18 | L |
| 5 | @Colorado | -10 | 37-14 | +23 | W |
| 6 | vsUtah | +15.2 | 26-42 | -16 | L |
| 8 | @Notre Dame | +17.4 | 16-31 | -15 | L |
| 9 | vsArizona | -12.6 | 41-34 | +7 | W |
| 10 | @Arizona State | +11.8 | 16-31 | -15 | L |
| 12 | vsUCLA | +9.4 | 33-62 | -29 | L |
| 13 | vsBYU | +8.9 | 31-35 | -4 | L |
| 14 | @California | +3.4 | 14-24 | -10 | L |
Quarterbacks · 3
2021 · 64
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Kedon Slovis | — | — | — | — |
| QB | 2nd | Jaxson Dart | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| QB | 3rd | Miller Moss | SR | 6'2" | 210 | ★★★★ |
Running Backs · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Keaontay Ingram | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Vavae Malepeai | — | — | — | — |
| RB | 3rd | Darwin Barlow | — | — | — | — |
| RB | 4th | Brandon Campbell | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| RB | 5th | Quincy Jountti | — | — | — | — |
| RB | 6th | Kenan Christon | — | — | — | — |
Wide Receivers · 9
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Drake London | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| WR | 2nd | Gary Bryant Jr. | SR | 5'11" | 191 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 3rd | Tahj Washington | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| WR | 4th | Kyle Ford | — | — | — | — |
| WR | 5th | Michael Jackson III | SR | 6'0" | 205 | — |
| WR | 6th | K.D. Nixon | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| WR | 7th | Joseph Manjack IV | SR | 6'3" | 205 | — |
| WR | 8th | John Jackson III | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| WR | 9th | Kyron Hudson | SR | 6'1" | 215 | — |
Tight Ends · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Malcolm Epps | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| TE | 2nd | Erik Krommenhoek | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| TE | 3rd | Michael Trigg | SR | 6'4" | 240 | ★★★★ |
| TE | 4th | Lake McRee | SR | 6'4" | 250 | ★★★ |
| TE | 5th | Jude Wolfe | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| TE | 6th | Grant Jones | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
Offensive Line · 3
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL | — | Justin Dedich | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| OL | — | Jonah Monheim | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| OL | — | Maximus Gibbs | — | — | — | — |
Defensive Line · 8
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | 1st | Tuli Tuipulotu | — | — | — | — |
| DL | 2nd | Jacob Lichtenstein | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| DL | 3rd | Hunter Echols | — | — | — | — |
| DL | 4th | Stanley Ta'ufo'ou | — | — | — | — |
| DL | 5th | Nickolas Figueroa | — | — | — | — |
| DL | 6th | Korey Foreman | SR | 6'4" | 250 | ★★★★★ |
| DL | 7th | Jamar Sekona | SR | 6'2" | 275 | ★★★ |
| DL | 8th | De'Jon Benton | SR | 6'2" | 270 | — |
Linebackers · 10
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Kana'i Mauga | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| LB | 2nd | Ralen Goforth | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | Drake Jackson | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| LB | 4th | Raymond Scott | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| LB | 5th | Chris Thompson Jr. | SR | 6'3" | 240 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 6th | Tuasivi Nomura | — | — | — | — |
| LB | 7th | Juliano Falaniko | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| LB | 8th | Clyde Moore | — | — | — | — |
| LB | 9th | Eli'jah Winston | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| LB | — | Raesjon Davis | SR | 6'0" | 223 | ★★★★ |
Defensive Backs · 15
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Isaac Taylor-Stuart | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| CB | 2nd | Chris Steele | — | — | — | — |
| CB | 3rd | Jaylin Smith | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| CB | 4th | Prophet Brown | SR | 5'11" | 190 | — |
| DB | 1st | Chase Williams | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| DB | 2nd | Xavion Alford | SR | 6'0" | 200 | ★★ |
| DB | 3rd | Joshua Jackson Jr. | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| DB | 4th | Jayden Williams | — | — | — | — |
| DB | 5th | Kaulana Makaula | — | — | — | — |
| DB | 6th | Micah Croom | — | — | — | — |
| DB | 7th | Ceyair Wright | SR | 6'0" | 190 | ★★★★ |
| S | 1st | Isaiah Pola-Mao | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| S | 2nd | Calen Bullock | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| S | 3rd | Greg Johnson | — | — | — | — |
| S | 4th | Xamarion Gordon | SR | 6'2" | 215 | ★★★★ |
Special Teams · 4
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LS | 1st | Damon Johnson | — | — | — | ★★ |
| P | 1st | Ben Griffiths | — | — | — | — |
| PK | 1st | Parker Lewis | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| PK | 2nd | Alex Stadthaus | — | — | — | ★★ |
2021 · pct vs FBS
SP+ Off
32.366
Off PPA
+0.2152
Pass PPA
+0.2857
Rush PPA
+0.1454
Success
46%77
Explosive
1.1614
PlayerMedian (50th)percentile vs league
SP+ Trend
points vs avg team
— Overall— Offense— Defense
SP+ = opponent-adjusted points vs an average team. Overall & Offense higher = better; Defense lower = better.
Advanced
2021 · opponent-adjusted PPA / play
| Split | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | +0.21 | +0.28 |
| Passing | +0.28 | +0.43 |
| Rushing | +0.14 | +0.16 |
| 1st Down | +0.09 | +0.04 |
| 2nd Down | +0.19 | +0.35 |
| 3rd Down | +0.43 | +0.63 |
Scoring Trend
2021 · pts/game
PPG For
28.7
PPG Against
31.8
Differential
-3.1
— Points for— Points against
dots: W / LResults
2021
- Overall
- 4-8
- Home
- 2-5
- Away
- 2-3
- Conference
- 3-6
- Non-Conference
- 1-2
- One-Score (≤8)
- 1-1
- Avg Margin
- -3.1
Situational Splits
2021 · record · pts
| Split | Record | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | |||
| Home | 2-5 | 30.9 | 38.1 |
| Away | 2-3 | 25.6 | 22.8 |
| Competition | |||
| vs Ranked (SP+ 25) | 0-2 | 21.0 | 36.5 |
| Conference | 3-6 | 29.7 | 34.2 |
| Non-conference | 1-2 | 25.7 | 24.3 |
Season History · last 12
2 AP top-10 · 9 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9-3 | 7-2 | #16 | #16 | 0-1 |
| 2024 | 6-6 | 4-5 | #23 | #11 | 1-0 |
| 2023 | 7-5 | 5-4 | #29 | #5 | 1-0 |
| 2022 | 11-2 | 8-2 | #11 | #4 | 0-1 |
| 2021 | 4-8 | 3-6 | #81 | #14 | — |
| 2020 | 5-1 | 5-1 | #22 | — | — |
| 2019 | 8-4 | 7-2 | #22 | — | 0-1 |
| 2018 | 5-7 | 4-5 | #34 | — | — |
| 2017 | 11-2 | 9-1 | #17 | — | 0-1 |
| 2016 | 9-3 | 7-2 | #8 | — | 1-0 |
| 2015 | 8-5 | 6-4 | #17 | — | 0-1 |
| 2014 | 8-4 | 6-3 | #22 | — | 1-0 |
Recent Form · last 5
1-4 SU · 1-4 ATS · O3/U2
Betting Profile
2021 · 12 w/ line
| Straight up | 4-8 |
| ATS | 4-833% |
| Over / Under | 6-5-1 O-U |
| — ATS splits — | |
| As favorite | 3-4 |
| As underdog | 1-4 |
| Home | 2-5 |
| Away | 2-3 |
vs closing line · splits show cover–no cover
Recruiting Classes
avg #19 · 141 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★196 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14 | 257 | 1 | 12 | 8 |
| 2024 | #17 | 254 | 0 | 13 | 6 |
| 2023 | #8 | 280 | 3 | 11 | 6 |
| 2022 | #70 | 165 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 2021 | #8 | 281 | 1 | 16 | 1 |
| 2020 | #55 | 181 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 2019 | #20 | 244 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| 2018 | #4 | 291 | 4 | 12 | 2 |
| 2017 | #4 | 297 | 2 | 12 | 6 |
| 2016 | #10 | 274 | 2 | 12 | 6 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
talent #10
Returning prod 71%Departed 29%
Talent composite874.5 #10 / 224
Returning usage (pass / rush / rec)90 / 43 / 49
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2021
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
20 items
- Top Four Big Ten Quarterbacks on USC Trojans' Schedule This SeasonWith the USC's challenging Big Ten schedule, there are a few tough quarterback matchups for the Trojans.USC15h
- Joel Klatt Identifies Underrated Contest on USC Trojans ScheduleFor the 2026 season, Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans have several major tests, but Fox Sports commentator Joel Klatt believes there is one game in particular that could define USC's season.USC16h
- USC Trojans Quarterback Jayden Maiava Faced With Major OpportunityUSC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava enters a critical season for his draft stock and the program.
- Multiple USC Trojans Stars Earn Preseason All-Big Ten HonorsBreaking down the USC Trojans players that were awarded Preseason All-Big Ten Honors.USC18h
- USC countdown to kickoff: Recalling Trojans long snapper Jake OlsonToday, we recall one of the most unique and inspirational players to ever suit up for the TrojansUSC21h
- Three USC Trojans Who Could Surprise This SeasonThe stars are well-known on the USC Trojan roster, but who might surprise in 2026?USC23h
- USC Trojans to Face Six Former Players This SeasonHere's a look at the former transfers that the USC Trojans will face during the 2026 football season.USC1d
- USC Trojans Emerge as Early Favorites for Elite Running Back RecruitThe USC Trojans are turning to Santa Margarita for another talented offensive recruit.USC1d
- Lincoln Riley May Have Found Missing Piece for USC FootballUSC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley has assembled one of the nation's top coaching staffs, but one offseason hire could prove to be pivotal.USC1d
- USC Freshman Elbert Hill Creates Intrigue in Position BattleFreshman cornerback Elbert "Rock" Hill was a prized recruit in the USC Trojans top-ranked class.USC2d
- Notable Offensive Recruits on the Rise USC Hosted For VisitsThe USC Trojans hosted a number of elite offensive recruits in June.USC2d
- USC Joined by Seven Programs With Multiple 5-Star Recruits in Upcoming ClassThe USC Trojans are among eight teams with multiple commits from class of 2027 five-star recruits.USC2d
- USC Commit Builds Recruiting Stock With Rising StatusThe hype surrounding a USC Trojans 2027 five-star commit continues to grow as he rises in the national rankings.USC2d
- Two Ways Jayden Maiava Can Boost USC's Season With a Victory Over OregonFor the USC Trojans to take a step forward in the Big Ten, being able to beat top-tier teams is critical, and specifically against Oregon, quarterback Jayden Maiava's performance could play a major role.
- Local high school coaches share thoughts on USC GM Chad BowdenUSC fans are extremely high on the Trojans’ general manager. But what do Southern California high school coaches think about him?USC2d
- USC's Program Rise Fueled By Recruiting Dominance in Key RegionThe USC Trojans continue to establish themselves as the preeminent recruiting force as they build another top recruiting class in the Big Ten.USC2d
- Where does the Coliseum rank among toughest stadiums to play in?According to EA Sports, USC does not have the same level of home field advantage as some of its Big Ten foes. Can the Trojans change that this fall?USC3d
- Two Trojans Earn Top-10 Position Group Ranking in EA College Football 27Two USC Trojans rank in the top-five of their position group in the upcoming EA Sports College Football 27 video game.USC3d
- USC With Recruiting Ground to Make Up for Most Blue Chip CommitsThe USC Trojans have received nine commitment from blue chip recruits in the class of 2027.USC3d
- One Key Question for USC Defensive End Luke Wafle Before Freshman SeasonFive-star freshman defensive end Luke Wafle was one of the crown jewels of the USC Trojans recruiting class.USC3d