“Guys came [into shape], ready to go.” Lincoln Riley expressed optimism as fall camp’s Day 1 came to an end, but all is not cozy in South Cal. Heading into the 2025 season, Riley is treading on a tightrope. Last season, the Trojans tallied a 7-6 record. Well, the offense fell through with his star QB benched on the sidelines. This year, he is gearing up to salvage it all with Jayden Maiava as the starting QB. “We’re not content with any part of this program being average or even being good. That’s not our mentality,” he put it bluntly.

Taking the reins from Miller Moss, Jayden Maiava has stepped up to the QB1 role. Although his last season’s inconsistent performance generated criticism of his ability to start the 2025 season. The day 1 injury report also stated five injuries. Caden Chittenden, Ja’Kobi Lane, and Carlon Jones, among others—to name a few. But Riley is optimistic about their return. However, taking note of that, another question popped up. What happens if adversity strikes? Who’s next in line? According to USC’s quarterback coach, don’t sleep on Husan Longstreet.

On being asked about Hasan Longstreet’s prowess on USC Athletics, quarterback coach Luke Huard seemed optimistic about his capabilities. “Coach (Luke Huard), what have you seen from Hasan so far in camp, and what gives you confidence if there’s an injury that he can go in and be competitive for you guys? Just for context, Husan Longstreet is a former five-star recruit, ranked 4th as a QB in the Class of 2025. Tallying 4,724 yards in his high school career, he led his team to the Southern Section Division 2 runner-up. “He’s got incredible arm strength,” as his HS coach Matt Logan described. And his athleticism is showing on the Trojans’ turf as well.

Huard continued, “The way that he’s attacked these first five practices has been awesome; he’s shown just a really good ability to overcome some adverse situations, play through some tough plays, and bounce right back and go out there and respond and execute.” He is embracing the process of being a young QB, taking one step further every day, refining his offense, as Huard put it. But there is another factor, a soft skill, that is earning Longstreet his coaches’ approval.

Huard went on, “He does a really good job interacting with teammates. And I think, you know, for him being a young quarterback, one area where I think he’s really well ahead of the game is just from a communication standpoint. Because obviously, as a quarterback, it’s our job to number one relay the play to the offense and make sure those guys feel our confidence, and I feel like he’s really, really taken some giant steps in that direction.” Longstreet has surely got the coaches’ backing, but how is QB1 Jayden Maiava faring?

Jayden Maiava gears up for the upcoming season

In Jayden Maiava’s last season as a starter, he finished 1-3, with his only loss to Notre Dame. Full of confidence, “A lot of touchdowns,” he promised the Trojan Nation. Adding to his drills, he has now started meditating and reading books. His favorite book right now? Maybe “Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness,” considering he devoured it to the fullest.

A media person further prodded Huard. “Jayden told us that he’s reading more, meditating more, and just kind of trying to gain more knowledge in general. So, how have you seen his efforts kind of pay off?” The coaching roster did not miss Jayden Maiava’s dedication to becoming a better leader. “I think just in general, his overall confidence again kind of referencing Hasan as well—is just a response to adverse situations, and I think you can just feel, you know, Jayden being more and more comfortable in his own skin and more comfortable, you know, being one of the leaders of this football team and operating this offense.”

Last season, he completed 1,201 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and six interceptions. And as the fall camp is underway, he has comfortably stepped up to his new leadership role in the locker room. “You just feel an improved and an elevated level of confidence with the way that he’s going about his business,” the coach continued. “And he is always, you know, one that wants to learn more, wants to gain more knowledge. He’s never satisfied with where he’s at.”

And not to forget that Maiava had the offseason and spring drills to get better under Riley’s tutelage. Given that, Riley has mentored Heisman Trophy winners Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, and Caleb Williams, maybe USC’s future looks promising.

But then again, how is the D-line faring? The offense is rattling up the discussions at Los Angeles, but maybe the defense has already scored brownie points in the eyes of the Trojan fandom. Although the defense finished 77th in total defense and 87th in yards per play, D’Anton Lynn’s playbook held together what was left of the roster last season. And now, the fandom is mulling over whether the Trojans can pull it through again. Maybe, maybe not. But Greg McElroy is not sold on that.

“What concerns me is the continued improvement defensively. Last year was amazing [with] what D’Anton Lynn did in year number one. But now you got to replace eight starters off last year’s team.” Keeshawn Silver and Jamaal Jarrett, among others, are the new faces at the D-line. Well, Lynn himself admitted the loopholes in the D-line, or a more appropriate wording would be an inexperienced D-line. “We have a lot of inexperience in that room,” as Lynn put it. But at the same time, he further added that the spring drills got them a lot of reps, and he is excited about how they perform in the fall camp. Not to forget that Riley moved one of his chess pieces, Elijah Newby, from defensive end to linebacker. Let’s see how the Trojans unwind in the 2025 season.