College football: Preseason AP Top 25 projections for 2023
![Sep 17, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) reacts against the Fresno State Bulldogs] in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F4271bd2b3282d72eacb6e968c9a36ac6b02c01116a5a0f01ee6a8b2f7c033bcf.jpg "Sep 17, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) reacts against the Fresno State Bulldogs] in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports")
I think USC will be ranked just outside the top five in the first AP Top 25 preseason poll but I wouldn’t be shocked to see them just a few points behind that range.
This is USC’s final season in the Pac-12 after agreeing to join the Big Ten for 2024 and beyond. The Trojans will be the favorite to win the loaded conference in its last year as we know it and I think that’s because of reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams.
USC returns plenty but it also adds Brenden Rice, Dorian Singer, and MarShawn Lloyd to the offense which is going to more than make up for the departures of Jordan Addison and Travis Dye. This offense is going to be explosive yet again.
As for the defense, this is a huge year for Alex Grinch to prove himself after a rocky start to his tenure as the program’s defensive coordinator. He does have a history of success, but needs to prove it this season. He’ll have plenty of talent to work with.
The ceiling of this team is very high.