*WR Jordan Addison (Athlon Sports, Walter Camp, Phil Steele, Sporting News) and OL Andrew Vorhees (Athlon Sports, Walter Camp, Sporting News) were named 2022 All-American first teamers. Vorhees was also named to the Phil Steele All-American fourth team. QB Caleb Williams was a pre-season All- American second team pick (Walter Camp) as well as a third team pick (Athlon Sports and Phil Steele). DL Tuli Tuipulotu earned both All-American third team (Phil Steele) and fourth team (Athlon Sports) honors, while RB Travis Dye was named a pre-season All-American third teamer (Athlon Sports). Addison, Vorhees, Williams, Tuipulotu, Dye, OL Brett Neilon and WR Mario Williams were selected to various pre-season AllPac-12 first teams.
*The following Trojans have made official “Watch Lists” for national 2021 post-season awards, as of July 26:
*The Trojans will play seven home games in the Coliseum in Riley’s debut season. USC will face 9 Pac12 opponents and 3 non-conference foes.
*USC will open its 2022 slate in the Coliseum on Sept. 3 of Labor Day weekend against Rice of Conference USA. It will be the teams’ fourth-ever meeting, but first since 1971 (and first in the Coliseum since 1948). The Trojans start Pac-12 play the following week at Stanford on Sept. 10. It will be the Pac-12’s first league game of the 2022 campaign. USC then returns to the Coliseum on Sept. 17 to host the MountainWest’s Fresno State (with new head coach Jeff Tedford). It will be the teams’ fourth meeting in the past 10 years. Troy next begins an eight-game run against Pac-12 squads, first visiting Oregon State on Sept. 24 and then returning to the Coliseum for a two-game homestand versus Arizona State on Oct. 1 and Washington State (with new coach Jake Dickert) on Oct. 8. USC visits defending Pac-12 champion Utah on Oct. 15, then has a bye week before going to Arizona on Oct. 29. November play begins with a home game against California on Nov. 5, followed by a Friday home contest against Colorado on Nov. 11 (USC’s first Friday home game since 2019). The Trojans conclude the 2022 regular season against their traditional rivals, first visiting crosstown opponent UCLA on Nov. 19 and then hosting intersectional foe Notre Dame (led by new head coach Marcus Freeman) on Nov. 26 of Thanksgiving weekend. It will be the first time since 2018 that USC ends its regular season against the Bruins and then the Fighting Irish, in that order. Notre Dame, California and Colorado haven’t played in the Coliseum since 2018, while Troy hasn’t played at Stanford and Oregon State since 2018.
*Lincoln Riley and his staff are focused on rebuilding a program that went 4-8 (3-6 in Pac-12 Conference play) in the 2021 season, USC’s fewest victories since 1991.
*Coach Riley has called the 2022 roster the “most unique roster in USC football history”.
*The Trojans return 71 players from the 2021 squad, including 37 lettermen. Five starters are back on the offensive side of the ball and three on defense.
*The returnees will be joined by the No. 1-ranked transfer class in the nation comprised of 24 transfers along with 11 true freshmen. Those 13, in addition to two early-enrollee freshmen, participated in spring ball. Six more freshmen who arrived in the summer completed USC’s 2022 signing class.
*The Trojan offense will be feeling the loss of All-American first team wide receiver Drake London, an NFL first round pick. Also named the 2021 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and an All-Pac-12 first teamer, London was a semifinalist for the 2021 Biletnikoff Award and Maxwell Award. Before suffering a broken ankle on a tackle while catching a touchdown late in the first half of Game 8 last year, London had 88 receptions for 1,084 yards with 7 TDs in just 7.5 games. He had 5 games in 2021 with 10 or more catches and 6 with at least 130 receiving yards. He and Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree in 2007 are the only Power 5 players with 88 catches through 8 games. He is the only Trojan to twice have 15 or more catches in a game and the first Trojan with 5 consecutive 100-yard receiving outings since Marqise Lee in 2012 (London has 9 total in his career). The offense also lost tailback Keaontay Ingram, who transferred to USC in the spring of 2021 and was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention last fall. Ingram ran for a team-high 911 yards on 156 carries (5.8 avg) with 5 TDs and caught 22 passes for 156 yards in 2021. Another departed tailback, Vavae Malepeai, ran for 2,005 yards (21st on USC’s all-time rushing ladder) in his career. In 2021, he rushed for 502 yards (second on USC) on 114 carries (4.4 avg) with a team-best 6 rushing TDs. Tight end Erik Krommenhoek, who recorded 39 catches for 335 yards (8.6 avg) with 3 TDs in his career while playing in 57 games with 22 starts, is gone, as is Liam Jimmons who started all 12 games at right offensive guard in 2021. Also gone are quarterbacks Kedon Slovis (652-of-953 passes [68.4%] for 7,576 yards with 58 TDs and 24 interceptions in his career) and Jaxson Dart (117-of-189 passes [61.9%] for 1,353 yards with 9 TDs and 5 interceptions in 2021), offensive lineman Jalen McKenzie (42 games in his career, with 19 starts) and tight end Michael Trigg (7 receptions for 109 yards [15.6 avg.] and 1 TD in 2021).
*Defensively, the Trojans lose Drake Jackson, a three-year starter at outside linebacker. A 2021 All- Pac-12 second team selection, Jackson had 103 tackles, including 25 for losses (with 12.5 sacks), plus 4 deflections, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery and 1 forced fumble in his career. He appeared in 28 career games, with 26 starts. Two-time team captain and three-year starting safety Isaiah Pola-Mao, who had 178 tackles, including 9 for losses of 41 yards (with 1.5 sacks for minus 13 yards), 5 interceptions, 8 deflections, 4 fumble recoveries and 1 forced fumble in his career, is gone. He appeared in 32 games with 29 starts. Fellow three-year starter Chris Steele, a 2021 All-Pac-12 honorable mention cornerback who had 95 tackles (3 for a loss, with a sack), 12 deflections, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and 3 interceptions in his career while appearing in 29 games and starting 23 times, has departed. So has fellow cornerback Isaac Taylor-Stuart, who collected 80 tackles, including 1 for a 1-yard loss, plus 2 interceptions and 7 deflections in his career while appearing in 32 games, with 19 starts. Also gone are inside linebacker Kana’i Mauga (206 career tackles, including 16.5 for losses of 49 yards [with 5 sacks for minus 32 yards], 6 deflections, 2 forced fumbles, 3 interceptions), nickelback Greg Johnson (98 career tackles, including 6.5 for a loss of 39 yards [with a sack for minus 14 yards], 9 deflections, 3 interceptions with a TD, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 forced fumbles), safety Chase Williams (85 tackles, including 4.5 for losses of 10 yards [with a sack for minus 2 yards], 1 fumble recovery, 1 deflection and 1 quarterback hurry in his career while appearing in 32 games, with 15 starts) and outside linebacker Hunter Echols (50 career tackles, including 3.5 for a loss of 14 yards, 3 deflections, 1 fumble recovery).
*On special teams, USC loses Australian punter Ben Griffiths, who averaged 43.5 yards on 114 punts in his career, with 48 punts pinning opponents within the 20-yard line, 26 traveling at least 50 yards and only 10 touchbacks. Two-year starting placekicker Parker Lewis, who had 26 field goals (including 17 last year, 2 shy of the USC season record) and 35 PATs in his career, transferred. The Trojans also lose one of the nation’s premier long snappers, Damon Johnson, who snapped five years for USC and was a two-time finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award.
*Lincoln Riley, one of college football’s most successful young coaches who won 85 percent of his games in five seasons at Oklahoma and led the Sooners to four Big 12 titles and four New Year’s Six bowls with three College Football Playoff appearances, was named the head coach at USC on Nov. 28, 2021.
*“Lincoln is the rarest combination of extraordinary person and elite football coach,” said USC athletic director Mike Bohn upon Riley’s hiring. “His successes and offensive accolades as a head coach the past five years are astonishing. Lincoln will recruit relentlessly, develop his players on and off the field, and implement a strong culture in which the program will operate with the highest level of integrity and professionalism.
*“Lincoln is universally considered one of the brightest and most talented football coaches in the nation, and the fact that he chose USC is a testament to the strength of our brand, the power of the Trojan Family, and the leadership of our university. This is for our current players, our former players, our alumni, our fans, and our entire university community. Our time is now.”
*The 38-year-old Riley posted a 55-10 overall record in his five years (2017-21) at Oklahoma for an impressive .846 winning percentage. His Sooners were 37-7 (.841) in league play and won Big 12 championships in his first four years there as he became the first person to win outright Football Bowl Subdivision conference crowns in each of his first four seasons as a collegiate head coach. He set Oklahoma records for most victories in his first two (24), three (36) and four (45) seasons, breaking marks held by Barry Switzer and Bob Stoops.
*After serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for two of the most prolific offenses in OU’s history, Riley took over as the Sooners’ head coach in 2017 when Stoops retired. He was the youngest FBS head coach (33) at the time of his hiring. He also coached the OU quarterbacks and called the offensive plays while serving as head coach, running a balanced offensive attack.
*Riley led his initial Oklahoma squad to a 12-2 overall record in 2017, becoming just the fifth FBS coach with no previous head coaching experience at a four-year college to win at least 12 games in his debut season. The Sooners won the Big 12 title by going 8-1, played in the CFP semifinal in the Rose Bowl and finished third in the final AP poll. Quarterback Baker Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy that season, along with the Maxwell, Davey O’Brien, Manning, Walter Camp Player of the Year and AP Player of the Year Awards, and was the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. Tight end Mark Andrews won the 2017 Mackey Award.
*Oklahoma was again 12-2 overall and 8-1 while winning the Big 12 championships in 2018 and 2019. Riley was the Big 12 Co-Coach of the Year in 2018. Quarterback Kyler Murray won the 2018 Heisman Trophy, O’Brien Award and Manning Award, was the AP Player of the Year and was the No. 1 selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, while quarterback Jalen Hurts was the Heisman runner-up in 2019. The Sooners appeared in the Orange Bowl in 2018 and Peach Bowl in 2019, both CFP semifinals. OU was fourth in the final AP poll in 2018 and seventh in 2019.
*In the COVID-impacted 2020 season, Oklahoma went 9-2 overall, won the Big 12 at 6-2, beat Florida in the Cotton Bowl and was sixth in the final AP poll.
*In 2021, the Sooners were 11-2 overall, tied for second in the Big 12 standings at 7-2, won the Alamo Bowl (Riley did not coach in the bowl) and finished 10th in the AP poll. Three Sooners—quarterback Caleb Williams, wide receiver Mario Williams and linebacker Danny Stutsman—were named True Freshmen AllAmericans.
*Riley brought together some of the top assistant coaches from across the nation to lead the Trojan football program.
*“I truly believe we have put together an elite group of coaches that will help build this football program back to national prominence,” said Riley. “They have each been a part of winning programs and have a championship mindset. This staff understands that championship teams have a foundation of culture, and they know what that looks like and how to implement it. They recognize the tradition and expectations of this program and are eager to get to work.”
*On the offensive side of the ball, Josh Henson, most recently at Texas A&M, has 23 years of coaching experience primarily in the SEC and Big 12 and has been part of a national championship staff; he joins the program as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Joining Riley from Oklahoma is Dennis Simmons, who holds an assistant head coach title; he will coach the outside wide receivers and serve as the offensive passing game coordinator. He has coached some of college football’s elite receivers. Coming off a Rose Bowl appearance, Kiel McDonald joins the Trojan staff from Utah. He has tutored some of the Pac-12’s top running backs in recent years and will continue to coach running backs at Troy. Zach Hanson, regarded as one of the game’s top young coaches, joins USC as the tight ends coach after most recently coaching at Tulsa. Luke Huard, who originally joined the staff as an offensive analyst, will serve as the inside wide receivers coach after the passing of Dave Nichol last spring.
*On the defensive side of the ball, Riley brought Alex Grinch from Oklahoma to serve as USC’s defensive coordinator. Grinch, who is regarded as one of the nation’s top defensive coordinators and secondary coaches, will also coach the safeties. Brian Odom also arrives from Oklahoma and will coach the inside linebackers while also serving as associate head coach for defense. Shaun Nua, a former NFL Super Bowl-winning defensive end who has coaching experience in the Pac-12 and Big Ten, will lead the defensive line. Roy Manning, a former Big Ten and NFL linebacker who has coached in three Power 5 conferences, joined the USC staff as the outside linebackers coach, nickels coach and assistant head coach for defense. Finally, Donte Williams, one of the nation’s top recruiters, returns to the Trojan coaching staff. After previously serving as USC’s interim head coach in 2021, Williams will lead the defensive backs and be the defensive passing game coordinator.
*Riley also brought in Bennie Wylie from Oklahoma as the director of football sports performance.
*Troy’s offense returns just 5 starters from 2021: Wide receivers Gary Bryant Jr. and Tahj Washington and offensive linemen Brett Neilon, Andrew Vorhees and Courtland Ford. Others returning with starting experience are offensive linemen Jonah Monheim and Justin Dedich, tight ends Jude Wolf, Malcolm Epps and Lake McRee, running back Darwin Barlow and wide receiver Michael Jackson III.
*USC’s offense averaged 443.9 total yards in 2021 (23rd in the nation), including 298.3 passing to rank 17th nationally. The Trojans scored 28.7 points per outing and ranked in the national Top 20 in third down conversions (.453) and red zone offense (.902). Ten players who caught a pass are back from last season.
*Both of 2021’s starting Trojan quarterbacks — Kedon Slovis and Jaxson Dart — have transferred. Slovis completed a school record 68.4% of his passes in his career for 7,576 yards and 58 TDs. He had a school record 5 career 400-yard passing games. He ranks sixth on USC’s all-time passing list (652 completions) and is eighth on the career total offense chart (7,426 yards). He started USC’s first 9 games last fall before getting hurt (2,153 yards with 11 TDs in 2021). He was replaced by Dart, who hit 61.9% of his throws for 1,353 yards with 9 TDs as a first-year freshman.
*The only quarterback on the 2022 USC roster to have seen action in 2021 in a Trojan uniform is redshirt freshman Miller Moss. He played briefly in 2 games last fall, going 8-for-13 (61.5%) for 74 yards and 1 TD.
*In addition to Moss, there are two returning quarterbacks back who have yet to see the field at USC. After missing the 2021 season due to torn knee ligaments, redshirt senior Mo Hasan was ready to compete again but tore his Achilles tendon during winter workouts and was sidelined for 2022 spring practices. He did not see action in 2020 at USC, sidelined most of that season with a leg injury. Hasan was named a member of the 21-player 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for his commitment to community service and was a semifinalist for the Wuerrfel Trophy. Walk-on redshirt sophomore Isaac Ward has yet to play at USC.
*The addition of sophomore transfer quarterback Caleb Williams from Oklahoma in the spring of 2022 rocked the college football landscape. Williams emerged as the Sooners’ starting quarterback by mid-season in 2021 and proved to be one of the nation’s premier freshmen. Named a 2021 True Freshman All-American, he appeared in 11 games and started the last 7 contests. He completed 136-of-211 passes (64.5%) for 1,912 yards and 21 TDs with 4 interceptions and he ran for 442 yards on 79 carries (5.6 avg) with 6 TDs. His passing yards and touchdowns were the most ever by an OU true freshman. He had 200-plus passing yards 5 times, 3-plus passing TDs 4 times and 2-plus passing TDs 6 times. He also was a 2021 semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien National Quarterback and FWAA’s Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year awards. He made 2021 AP All-Big 12 second team.
*Three new quarterbacks will join Riley’s room this fall. Jake Jensen, a sophomore who transferred to USC in the fall of 2022, arrives from Contra Costa Junior College in San Pablo (Calif.) where he completed 155-of-268 passes (57.9%) for 1,970 yards with 22 touchdowns and 9 interceptions and rushed for 105 yards on 64 carries (1.6 avg) with 4 TDs while starting 10 games as a 2021 freshman. He transferred to Contra Costa after a brief stint at BYU in the spring of 2021. He originally committed to BYU out of high school, but never enrolled in 2019 before heading on a 2-year Mormon mission to Argentina that was cut short a year because of the COVID pandemic.
*Walk-ons Keegan Patterson (Longmont High, Longmont Colo.), a 2021 MaxPreps All-State first team selection, and Gage Roy (Jesuit Dallas, Dallas, Texas), a 2021 All-District 7-6A first team honoree, will also join the team as freshmen quarterbacks
*The Trojans lost their two most experienced running backs in Keaontay Ingram, the 2021 Trojan rushing leader (911 yards), and USC captain Vavae Malepeai, who finished his Trojan career 21st on USC’s alltime rushing ladder (2,005 yards).
*Redshirt junior Darwin Barlow returns as the lone back to have contributed for the Trojans last year. After transferring from TCU in the summer of 2021, Barlow recorded 289 yards on 62 carries (4.7 avg) with 2 TDs in 2021, plus 4 receptions for 22 yards (5.5 avg).
*Walk-on redshirt sophomore Matt Colombo and redshirt senior Brandon Outlaw (who previously played wide receiver), who have yet to see action, also return to the Trojan squad.
*Riley pulled two experienced Pac-12 running backs from the transfer portal in the spring: redshirt senior Travis Dye and senior Austin Jones.
*In his 4-year (2018-21) career at Oregon while appearing in 48 games (with 19 starts), Dye ran for 3,111 yards (fifth most in school history) on 521 carries (6.0 avg) with 21 TDs, caught 83 passes for 869 yards (10.5 avg) with 8 TDs, returned 15 kickoffs for 305 yards (20.3 avg) and had 5 punt returns for 52 yards (10.4 avg). He had 7 100-yard rushing games and 4,337 all-purpose yards in his career. He was a 2021 All-Pac-12 honorable mention and AP All-Pac-12 second team pick.
*Jones arrives at Troy from Stanford, where he ran for 1,155 yards on 278 carries (4.2 avg) with 12 TDs, caught 67 passes for 531 yards (7.9 avg) with 1 TD and returned 4 kickoffs for 60 yards (15.0 avg) during his 3-year career.
*This fall, versatile freshman Raleek Brown (Mater Dei High, Santa Ana, Calif.) joins the USC roster and could be used at running back, wide receiver or on defense. He helped Mater Dei to the 2021 high school national championship while rushing for 1,123 yards
*The wide receiver room will be feeling the effects of losing one of the finest receivers in Trojan history, All-American first teamer Drake London. Before suffering a broken ankle on a tackle while catching a touchdown late in the first half of Game 8 last season, London had 88 receptions for 1,084 yards with 7 TDs in just 7.5 games.
*The Trojans will attempt to replace London by committee as they return 2 other starters in juniors Gary Bryant Jr. and Tahj Washington.
*Bryant was a key starting wide receiver and led USC in kickoff and punt returns as a sophomore in 2021. Overall in 2021 while appearing in 10 games and starting 7 times, he had 44 receptions (third on USC) for 579 yards (13.2 avg) with 7 TDs, plus a team-best 11 punt returns for 50 yards (4.5 avg), a team-high 16 kickoff returns for 413 yards (25.8 avg) and a 3-yard rush for a TD. He ranked 21st nationally in kickoff returns (25.8).
*After transferring from Memphis as a 2020 Football Writers Freshman All-American first team member, Washington started 11 games at wide out in the 2021 season as a redshirt sophomore for USC. He had 54 receptions (second on USC) for 602 yards (11.1 avg) with 1 TD, as well as 7 kickoff returns for 121 yards (17.3 avg) and 1 tackle.
*A number of tested returnees will battle for starting roles, including redshirt junior Kyle Ford, junior John Jackson III and sophomore Michael Jackson III.
*Ford returned healthy as a redshirt sophomore in 2021 and saw action at wide receiver in 8 games. Overall in 2021, he had 19 receptions for 252 yards (13.3 avg) with 2 TDs, with a catch in every game he played. He was a 2021 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year semifinalist. John Jackson III, who has strong USC bloodlines, was a contributor at wide receiver as a junior in 2021. Overall in 2021 while appearing in 10 games, he had 3 catches for 16 yards (5.3 avg). In his debut season as a Trojan, Michael Jackson III appeared in 8 games and started once. He had 12 receptions for 116 yards (9.7 avg) and 2 punt returns for 5 yards (2.5 avg).
*Kyron Hudson returns to the Trojan squad as a redshirt freshman after appearing in 1 game last year and catching 2 passes for 4 yards.
*Four walk-ons who have yet to play at USC — redshirt sophomores Danny Ryan and Ty Shamblin and redshirt freshmen Josiah Zamora and Grant Zane — will also be available for the Trojans.
*Joining the Trojans as spring transfers are redshirt senior Terrell Bynum, junior Brenden Rice and sophomore Mario Williams.
*Bynum, who spent the past 4 years at Pac-12 foe Washington, had 65 receptions for 934 yards (14.4 avg) with 6 TDs and ran for 87 yards on 7 carries (12.4 avg) while appearing in 34 games (with 19 starts) in his Husky career. Rice also arrived at Troy from a fellow Pac-12 team, Colorado. In his 2 years (2020-21) at Colorado, he had 27 receptions for 419 yards (15.5 avg) with 5 TDs, plus 19 kickoff returns for 506 yards (26.6 avg), an 81-yard scoring punt return and 6 carries for 54 yards (9.0 avg) while appearing in 17 games (with 12 starts). He had a pair of 100-yard receiving games in his career.
*Williams, a 2021 ESPN True Freshman All-American, joins his former Sooner quarterback Caleb Williams at USC. He was one of the nation’s top true freshmen wide receivers in 2021 at Oklahoma. While appearing in 12 games and starting once, he had 35 receptions (second on OU) for 380 yards (10.9 avg) with 4 TDs and he also returned 5 kickoffs for 108 yards (21.6 avg). He had 3-plus receptions in 7 contests.
*Highly-regarded true freshman CJ Williams (Mater Dei High, Santa Ana, Calif.), enrolled at USC in the spring after graduating high school a semester early. He caught 12 TD passes last year as Mater Dei won the prep national championship.
*The summer transfer of Jordan Addison to USC from Pittsburgh was one that made national news. The 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner (the nation’s top receiver) will make an immediate impact in the Trojan receiving corps as a junior. He was a 2021 consensus All-American first teamer (named to the AP, Football Writers, Walter Camp and Sporting News first teams), as well as All-ACC first team (and third team as an all-purpose player). Overall in 2021 while starting 13 of the 14 games he played (all but Michigan State in the Peach Bowl), he had 100 receptions (a school record) for 1,593 yards (15.9 avg) with 17 touchdowns (tied for most in the nation), as well as 7 carries for 56 yards (8.0 avg) with a TD and 12 punt returns for 185 yards (15.4 avg). His 1,593 receiving yards were fourth most in the nation, while having 8 games with 100 receiving yards and a team-best 1,834 all-purpose yards.
*Freshman Austin Overn (Foothill High, Santa Ana, Calif.) will compete as a walk-on wide receiver and will also play baseball on scholarship at USC.
*One of USC’s most experienced rooms is comprised of the tight ends. Malcolm Epps, Josh Falo, Sean Mahoney, Lake McRee and Jude Wolfe have all seen action for the Trojans. Only veteran Erik Krommenhoek, who had 39 career catches with 3 TDs while starting 22 games, and Michael Trigg (7 catches with a TD as a 2021 freshman), who has transferred, are gone.
*After transferring from Texas after a 3-year career, redshirt senior Epps saw action in all 12 games in 2021. He had 10 receptions for 173 yards (17.3 avg) with 1 TD. Redshirt senior Falo, previously a major contributor at tight end, looks to break back into the rotation in 2022. He has 18 catches for 246 yards (13.7 avg) with 3 TDs in 36 career games, starting 5 times. Redshirt junior Mahoney has appeared in 14 games in his career, but has not caught a pass. He has predominately been used on special teams. Redshirt freshman McRee saw key playing time at tight end and on special teams while appearing in 4 late-season games (with one start) as a first-year freshman in 2021. Overall, he had 7 receptions for 91 yards (13.0 avg). Redshirt junior Wolfe has tallied 10 catches for 61 yards (6.1 avg) in his career while appearing in 19 games (with 1 start).
*Also in the tight end corps is redshirt junior Ethan Rae. Rae, who has been plagued by a knee injury throughout his collegiate career, has yet to take the field in Cardinal and Gold. He looks to return healthy in 2022 and compete for playing time.
*The Trojan offensive line returns a group of long-time veterans as well as some experienced younger linemen. The only key losses are right guard Liam Jimmons and right guard Jalen McKenzie.
*Redshirt seniors Brett Neilon and Andrew Vorhees are no strangers to the gridiron trenches. A three-year starter at center, Neilon returns for his final year. He made 2021 All-Pac-12 honorable mention and Pro Football Focus All-Pac-12 first team. He has appeared in 34 games in his career while starting 29. Vorhees, utilizing his extra COVID-year granted by the NCAA, is returning for a sixth season as USC’s most experienced lineman. While playing left guard and then left tackle, he was named 2021 AP All-American third team as well as All-Pac-12 honorable mention, AP All-Pac-12 first team and Pro Football Focus All-Pac-12 first team. He has appeared in 44 games on the offensive line in his career, with 25 starts at right guard, 8 starts at left guard and 4 starts at left tackle.
*Redshirt sophomores Courtland Ford (10 game appearances in his career, with 9 starts) and Jonah Monheim (13 game appearances in his career, with 7 starts) both started the first half of 2021, with Ford at left tackle and Monheim at right tackle. When they both started the 2021 opener against San Jose State, it marked the first time since at least 1984 when complete records are available that USC started freshmen at both tackle spots. Redshirt senior Justin Dedich (22 game appearances in his career, with 7 starts) started 4 times in 2021 at left guard.
*Other experienced linemen returning are redshirt junior Jason Rodriquez (5 game appearances) and redshirt sophomore Andrew Milek (13 game appearances).
*Six more players who have yet to get onto the field at USC add to the crop of linemen: redshirt seniors Joe Bryson and AJ Mageo, redshirt junior Gino Quinones, redshirt sophomores Andres Dewerk and Caadyn Stephen and redshirt freshman Mason Murphy.
*Transfer Bobby Haskins joined the Trojans last spring from Virginia. The redshirt senior had a 4-year career as an offensive tackle for the Cavaliers, where he started 20 of his 45 games played. He looks to make an immediate impact on the USC offensive line.
*Cooper Lovelace, who transferred to USC in the fall of 2022 from Butler Community College, joins the Trojan offensive line as a redshirt junior. Also joining the fray is Kilian O’Connor (Santa Margarita Catholic, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) as a walk-on freshman.
*USC’s defense returns only 3 starters from 2021: inside linebacker Ralen Goforth and defensive linemen Stanley Ta’ufo’ou and Tuli Tuipulotu. Other defensive players back with career starts at USC are defensive linemen Nick Figueroa, De’jon Benton and Jamar Sekona, inside linebacker Chris Thompson Jr. and defensive backs Calen Bullock, Xavion Alford, Joshua Jackson Jr., Jaylin Smith and Prophet Brown.
*Three of USC’s top 6 tacklers from 2021 are back, as are its leaders in sacks, interceptions, pass deflections and forced fumbles. The Trojans recorded 14 interceptions in 2021, their most since 2017. However, the Trojan defense in 2021 surrendered a school-record 408.9 total yards per game, including 241.8 passing yards, and a school-record 31.8 points. Opponents rushed for more than 150 yards per game against USC for the fifth consecutive year (167.1 in 2021), something before then that had happened only once since 2001.
*The only key defensive lineman missing from 2021 is Jacob Lichtenstein, who transferred after getting 8 starts and 28 tackles (6 for losses, with 4 sacks) last fall.
*Two high-performing starters return to the defensive line for the Trojans: redshirt junior Stanley Ta’ufo’ou (19 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, in his career while appearing in 17 games, with 12 starts) and junior Tuli Tuipulotu (70 tackles, including 10 for losses, with 7.5 sacks, 2 deflections, a fumble recovery for a TD and 2 forced fumbles in his career while appearing in 18 games, with 15 starts). Tuipulotu made the 2021 All-Pac-12 first team while leading the Trojans in sacks (5.5) and forced fumbles (2).
*Redshirt seniors Nick Figueroa (45 tackles, including 11.5 for losses of 39 yards, with 4.5 sacks for minus 23 yards, plus a deflection and a fumble recovery in his career) and Brandon Pili (49 tackles, including 7.5 for losses, with 2.5 sacks, 3 deflections, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal in his career while appearing in 38 games, starting 5 times) are tested veterans who are coming back from injury, ready to battle for starting positions. Figueroa, who has appeared in 28 games in his career, with 11 starts, was a 2021 semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award and Senior CLASS Award. He had shoulder and hamstring injuries that limited him to 9 games in 2021 (with 5 starts), while Pili sat out last season after tearing his Achilles.
*Four other defensive linemen have shown promise for the upcoming season: redshirt junior De’jon Benton (6 tackles in career), redshirt sophomores Jamar Sekona (8 tackles and 1 start in career) and Kobe Pepe (3 tackles in career), who missed 2021 with a shoulder injury, and redshirt freshman Colin Mobley (2 game appearances.
*Two transfer linemen joined the squad in the spring to bolster the defensive line unit: senior Tyrone Taleni and redshirt junior Earl Barquet Jr. Transferring from Kansas State, Taleni recorded 5 tackles, including 2 sacks, while appearing in 10 games in his 2-year career there (2020- 21). Barquet arrives at Troy from TCU, where he tallied 21 tackles (3.5 for losses, with 2.5 sacks) while appearing in 16 games in his 2-year career (2020-21).
*Two more transfers came aboard this summer. Redshirt senior walk-on Sinjun Astani joins the Trojans from San Jose State and redshirt senior Solomon Byrd arrives from Wyoming, both with two years of eligibility remaining.
*After losing one of the nation’s most dominant pass rushers in 2021 All-Pac-12 second teamer and Lott IMPACT Trophy quarterfinalist Drake Jackson (103 tackles, 25 for loss, 12.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery and 1 forced fumble in his career), the Trojans are looking to fill his shoes. Hunter Echols, who had 50 career tackles and 7 starts, transferred.
*Sophomore Korey Foreman, ranked as the nation’s No. 1 recruit in 2020, looks to once again be a key contributor at rush end in 2022. While seeing significant action in 11 games as a first-year freshman in 2021, he had 11 tackles, including 3.5 for losses of 8 yards (with 2.5 sacks).
*Redshirt senior Solomon Tuliaupupu has been plagued by foot and knee injuries throughout his entire career and has yet to see the field, but hopes to stay healthy and compete for playing time in 2022.
*Making the transition from the SEC to the Pac-12 is redshirt sophomore transfer Romello Height. The rush end from Auburn collected 18 tackles, including 3 for losses, while appearing in 10 games in his 2-year career as a Tiger.
*Freshman Devan Thompkins (Edison High, Stockton, Calif.) and walk-on freshman Garrett Pomerantz (Bishop Gorman High, Las Vegas, Nev.) join this group in the fall.
*USC’s 2021 tackle leader, inside linebacker Kana’i Mauga, is gone. He had 90 stops in 2021 and made All-Pac-12 honorable mention. He had 206 career tackles, including 16.5 for losses with 5 sacks, plus 6 deflections, 2 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions while starting 24 of his 43 games. Raymond Scott, who had 27 tackles and 3 starts last season, has transferred.
*Veteran starter Ralen Goforth returns at inside linebacker for the Trojans. The senior has recorded 105 tackles (4 for losses of 8 yards), 2 deflections, 1 fumble recovery and 1 forced fumble in his career. He has appeared in 29 games in his career, with 13 starts.
*Three more inside linebackers with experience are redshirt senior Tuasivi Nomura (9 tackles in his career while appearing in 21 games), junior Chris Thompson Jr. (19 career tackles, including 1 for a loss, while appearing in 15 games with 2 starts) and sophomore Raesjon Davis (appeared in 10 games in 2021). Thompson played safety and nickelback last year at USC.
*Also battling for action will be redshirt senior Tayler Katoa (slowed in his career by a lingering knee injury and a Mormon mission), redshirt junior Clyde Moore (1 tackle in his career while appearing in 11 games, mostly on special teams) and redshirt freshman Julien Simon (he saw action in 2 games on special teams in 2021).
*Bringing in a wealth of experience is senior transfer Shane Lee. He arrives at Troy after a 3-year career at Alabama, where he made 96 tackles, including 8 for losses (with 6 sacks), plus an interception, 3 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a deflection. He appeared in 29 games for the Crimson Tide with 13 starts.
*Joining the inside linebacker corps in the fall are four fresh faces: transfer sophomore Eric Gentry from Arizona State, freshman Garrison Madden (Dutchtown High, Hampton, Ga.), walk-on freshman Roman Marchetti (Foothill High, Santa Ana, Calif.) and transfer freshman Carson Tabaracci from Utah.
*USC lost five standouts in the secondary and replacing them will be critical. Free safety and two-time captain Isaiah Pola-Mao (178 tackles, including 9 for losses, with 1.5 sacks, plus 5 interceptions, 8 deflections, 4 fumble recoveries and 1 forced fumble in his career), cornerbacks Chris Steele (95 tackles 3 for a loss, with a sack, 12 deflections, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and 3 interceptions in his career) and Isaac Taylor-Stuart (80 tackles, including 1 for a loss, plus 2 interceptions and 7 deflections in his career), 3-year starting nickelback Greg Johnson (98 tackles, 6.5 for losses with a sack, 9 deflections, 3 interceptions with a TD, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 forced fumbles in his career) and strong safety Chase Williams (85 career tackles, including 4.5 for losses, plus a fumble recovery and deflection in his career) were impactful in the Trojan backfield. They combined for 111 starts and 13 interceptions in their careers (29/5 by Pola-Mao, 25/3 by Johnson, 23/3 by Steele, 19/2 by Taylor-Stuart, 15/0 by Williams).
*Two young safeties shined for USC in 2021: redshirt sophomore Xavion Alford and sophomore Calen Bullock. After transferring from Texas, Alford led USC with 3 interceptions and 3 deflections, while collecting 31 tackles throughout 11 games. Bullock, the first USC true freshman to start a season opener since Su’a Cravens in 2013, had an impressive debut, leading the team with 8 tackles in USC’s 2021 season opener against San Jose State. He went on to play in 12 games, starting 6 times, and recorded 39 tackles, 2 interceptions and 3 deflections. He made the 2021 Football Writers Freshman All-American and Pro Football Focus True Freshman All-American first team.
*Coming back from injury is redshirt junior Max Williams. Williams was set to battle for the starting nickelback job and play a key role on special teams as a sophomore in 2021, but he tore knee ligaments in 2021 spring practice and had surgery, so he missed the 2021 season. In his career, he has recorded 28 tackles, including 3.5 for losses, with 1.5 sacks, plus 2 deflections and a forced fumble, while appearing in 10 games, starting 5 times.
*Sophomore Jaylin Smith will look to get into the rotation at safety. Appearing in USC’s first 10 games with 1 start, he tallied 11 tackles, including 2 for losses (with 1 sack), an interception, a deflection and a forced fumble. He suffered a concussion against UCLA and missed the final two contests of 2021. Redshirt sophomore Joshua Jackson Jr. will compete for playing time after recording 2 starts, 9 tackles, an interception and a deflection in 2021.
*Also competing for playing time will be redshirt senior Micah Croom (10 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery in his career), who moved to defensive back this spring from inside linebacker, redshirt juniors Briton Allen (8 tackles) and Adonis Otey (1 tackle) — both coming back from injuries that sidelined them in 2021 — and redshirt freshmen Anthony Beavers, Prophet Brown (7 tackles and 1 start), Xamarion Gordon (1 tackle) and Ceyair Wright (2 tackles).
*In the mix are two walk-ons: sophomore L Simpson and redshirt freshman Daniel Jimenez-Fulton.
*Two more transfers joined the Trojans in the secondary in the spring: redshirt senior cornerback Mekhi Blackmon and sophomore cornerback Latrell McCutchin.
*Blackmon was a 4-year performer at Colorado (2018-21), where he had 87 tackles, including 3 for losses with 2 sacks, 13 deflections, a fumble recovery and 2 interceptions while appearing in 25 games with 19 starts. McCutchin was at Oklahoma last fall, where he had 9 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and a deflection while appearing in 9 games and starting once.
*Highly-touted true freshman Domani Jackson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif.) also looks to battle for action after he enrolled at USC this spring after graduating a semester early from high school to participate in spring practice. He missed most of his senior campaign because of a knee injury.
*A pair of prep All-Americans from 2021 Las Vegas state champion Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas enroll this fall: safety Zion Branch and cornerback Fabian Ross. After suffering a lower-extremity injury in an offseason workout, Branch will not participate in fall camp.
*Also joining the Trojan squad this fall is redshirt junior transfer Bryson Shaw from Ohio State and redshirt sophomore transfer Jacobe Covington from Washington.
*The Trojan special teams unit is going to look quite different than in 2021. With the loss of Aussie punter and USC captain Ben Griffiths (45.0 P avg in 2021), 2-year starting placekicker Parker Lewis (26 career field goals, including 17 in 2021) and steady five-year starting long snapper Damon Johnson, the Trojans will be looking to fill some spots.
*USC was 50th in kickoff returns, averaging 22.0 and 28th in net punting (41.18) in 2021. Just 11 of USC’s 44 punts and 16 of its 64 kickoffs were returned last fall.
*Griffiths averaged 43.5 yards per punt in his 3-year Trojan career, with only 10 touchbacks on 114 boots. He made All-Pac-12 honorable mention in 2021 while averaging 45.0.
*Attempting to fill his shoes will be two untested walk-on punters: redshirt junior Will Rose and redshirt sophomore Michael McAllister. Neither has seen game action.
*In his 2 years at Troy, Lewis made 26-of-35 field goals and 45-of-46 PATs and had touchbacks on 49 of his 72 kickoffs (68.1%). Last fall while making All-Pac-12 second team, he hit 17-of-22 field goals (with a long of 52 yards) and 22-of-23 PATs and had touchbacks on nearly 80% of his 34 kickoffs. His 17 field goals in 2021 were 2 shy of the USC season record. He was eighth nationally in field goals (1.7). At one point, he had made 11 consecutive field goals dating to 2020.
*Redshirt senior Alex Stadthaus returns as a kicker with game experience. In 2021, Stadthaus saw key action doing placement kicks and kicking off. While appearing in 7 games, he hit all 6 of his field goal attempts and all 11 of his PATs and had touchbacks on 18 of his 30 kickoffs (60%).
*Stadthaus will be challenged by walk-on redshirt freshman Denis Lynch, a left-footed placekicker who did not see action in 2021.
*This fall, Garth White, a transfer from Ventura Junior College, joins the special teams unit as a walk-on sophomore placekicker and punter.
*Three walk-on long snappers who have yet to see game action will battle to replace Johnson: redshirt senior Jac Casasante, junior Daniel Meunier and redshirt sophomore Nathan Weneta.
*Griffiths had been USC’s holder the past 3 seasons. Punter Will Rose was his backup last year, but didn’t get in.
*Junior wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. had 11 punt returns for 50 yards (4.5 avg) in 2021, and redshirt freshman Michael Jackson III recorded 2 punt returns for 5 yards (2.5 avg) in 2021.
*Two transfers have punt return experience: redshirt senior Travis Dye, who had 5 punt returns for 52 yards (10.4 avg) during his time at Oregon, and junior wide receiver Brenden Rice, who recorded an 81-yard scoring punt return while at Colorado.
*Two returning Trojans have experience as kickoff returners: Bryant (16 KOR, 413 yds, 25.8 avg in 2021) and redshirt junior receiver Tahj Washington (7 KOR, 121 yds, 17.3 avg in 2021). Bryant, who is 19th on USC’s career kickoff return chart with 623 yards, was 21st nationally in kickoff returns (25.8) in 2021.
*Four transfers also have kickoff return experience in their careers elsewhere: Dye returned 15 kickoffs for 305 yards (20.3 avg) at Oregon, Rice had 19 kickoff returns for 506 yards (26.6 avg) at Colorado, senior running back Austin Jones returned 4 kickoffs for 60 yards (15.0 avg) while at Stanford and sophomore receiver Mario Williams returned 5 kickoffs for 108 yards (21.6 avg) while at Oklahoma.
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