The pressure is starting to mount on Lincoln Riley to finally bring the USC Trojans to the level everyone expected when they made the big move to lure him away from Oklahoma. The Trojans hoped to return to contending for National Championships under Riley, but thus far USC hasn’t even made the College Football Playoff. Adding to the pressure is the level of resources being made available to USC Football.
This offseason, Lincoln Riley pulled off the greatest feat of his tenure, signing the Nation’s top ranked recruiting class. Aside from coaches like Nick Saban who won with multiple iterations, most National Championship winning coaches landed a pivotal class that laid the foundation, and this could be that group for Riley.
When you sign a class as loaded as USC’s, everyone wants to know how soon the players will make an impact. The answer seems to be as soon as Week 0 of their freshman season for Lincoln Riley’s group.
USC’s initial depth chart reveals freshman heavy team
Ahead of their Week 0 matchup against San Jose State, the USC Trojans unveiled a depth chart, and 5 true freshmen are expected to start.
JUST IN: @uscfb’s first depth chart of 2026 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/1fzWcS5acy
— Keely Eure (@keelyismyname) August 27, 2026
Tight end Mark Bowman reclassified, joining the college ranks while he should actually be a Senior in High School, yet he was able to earn a starting role. Bowman is clearly a rare talent who was the Nation’s top ranked tight end before reclassifying, and still ranking as a 5-star recruit. Bowman will replace Lake McRee, and he’s the high level talent who could take this offense to the next level.
Replacing wide receivers as talented as Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane is never easy, but the task does get easier when you recruit wide receivers at the level Lincoln Riley has. Freshmen Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Trent Mosley were each named starters while Corey Simms and Tanook Hines appear to be in a battle for the third starting role. Add in freshman Ethan “Boobie” Feaster who’s listed as the backup to Dixon-Wyatt, and the young receivers are going to make a big impact.
The interesting part of the freshmen starting is that NC State transfer Terrell Anderson is not listed on the depth chart. Anderson has dealt with injuries during camp, and while the Trojans may not need him against San Jose State, his health is a top priority for the team.
The crown jewel of USC’s recruiting class was elite edge rusher Luke Wafle who ranked as the 5th best player in the Country. Wafle looks like an instant impact player with all the tools to make an early impact for this new look defense. During Spring and Fall Camp, Wafle looked the part of his 5-star ranking, and it allowed him to secure a starting role.
At defensive back, USC will have a fresh group in the rotation that could include true freshman Elbert “Rock” Hill IV. Chasen Johnson or Elbert Hill IV is listed for the Trojans second cornerback spot, meaning that Hill could earn the full-time job if he puts together a great start to the season.
Playing a ton of freshmen can be a blessing or a curse for any team, but Lincoln Riley has to favor the talent level, even if there’s early growing pains. This class has a chance to be the foundation of the team for at least the next 3 seasons, and getting everyone involved as early as possible will only help their long-term growth. Once the Trojans enter Big Ten play, we’ll see if the group is up to the challenge, but USC has the runway to give the freshmen a chance to step up in the role.
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