Projecting Who's Staying and Who's Leaving from USC After Bowl Game

After an uncomfortable offseason at USC, the Trojans took a valuable step forward in 2025 with a 9-win campaign.

Lincoln Riley is no longer on a hot seat.

But that doesn't mean the fan base is satisfied, either.

USC hung around the fringe of the Big Ten and College Football Playoff discussions until a late-November loss at Oregon. Earlier setbacks to Illinois and Notre Dame, though, kept the Trojans out of the heart of those respective races.

While the challenge for Riley and Co. next season is making the leap to true contention, it'll be relying on a reshaped roster.

Who's Staying

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Kennedy Urlacher

QB Jayden Maiava

As a frustrating 2024 neared its end, the Trojans moved from Miller Moss to Jayden Maiava. He sparked USC down the stretch and put together a decent—even if not spectacular—2025 season. Maiava threw for more than 3,500 yards and limited his turnovers well. Having a multi-year starter is a luxury in college.

Experience Up Front

The hope for USC as Maiava returns is that a season of lessons will benefit a young defensive line. Tobias Raymond, Justin Tauanuu, Elijah Paige and Kaylon Miller are among the blockers who logged significant snaps in 2025, and Hayden Treter started in the Alamo Bowl.

Upside on the Back End

Even though USC is losing a few important defensive backs, there's a whole lot of talent in the secondary. Both cornerback Marcelles Williams and safety Christian Pierce were fixtures in 2025, while corner Alex Graham and safety Kennedy Urlacher took on starting roles late in the season.

Who's Leaving

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Makai Lemon

Top Receiving Talent

The headliner of the program's NFL-bound crop is wideout Makai Lemon, who racked up 1,156 yards and 11 scores this season. USC also needs to replace wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane and tight end Lake McCree. Lane provided 745 yards, McRee added 450 and both caught four touchdowns.

NFL-Worthy Defenders

In addition to the standout pass-catchers, the Trojans have several key vacancies on the defensive side. Edge-rusher Anthony Lucas and linebacker Eric Gentry are big losses in the front seven, while safeties Bishop Fitzgerald and Kamari Ramsey plus cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson were critical pieces in the secondary.

Outgoing Transfers

The portal is set to open on Jan. 2, and USC already has a pretty clear understanding of those leaving the program. So far, at least, top exiting contributors are offensive guard Micah Banuelos, tight end Walker Lyons, defensive tackle Devan Thompkins and corner Braylon Conley. More are likely to follow.

Who's on the Way

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Carrington Pierce, and More!

In the wake of Oklahoma State firing longtime coach Mike Gundy, those players were eligible to start picking new schools. USC picked up one of the departures, adding a commitment from corner Carrington Pierce. It's safe to assume the Trojans will be active with transfers this winter.

Top Recruits from Coast-to-Coast

Poke around the 2026 signing list, and there's a fun theme you might notice: USC has landed four prospects who double as the highest-rated in their respective state in this cycle. The newcomers are New Jersey edge Luke Wafle (44th overall), Ohio corner Elbert Hill (46th), Hawaii linebacker Talanoa Ili (78th) and Illinois quarterback Jonas Williams (101st).

Nation's No. 1 Recruiting Class

Did we bury the lede? Yeah, definitely. Saving the best for last! In a matter of about 13 months, USC has surged from a concerning, decommitment-filled 2025 class to the highest-ranked haul in the country. Led by consensus 5-star tight end Mark Bowman, there are more than 20 blue-chip prospects—including 10 from California—in the Trojans' class.