Fall camp has officially kicked off at USC, and while the quarterbacks are naturally drawing a lot of attention, especially with the ongoing battle for who’ll lead the offense, there’s also some quietly intriguing work happening on the other side of the ball. The defense, which ranked just 77th nationally in total defense last year and struggled particularly in red zone situations (allowing scores on 83% of trips), has placed a renewed emphasis on accountability.

Practices are crisp, there’s more physicality than last season, and you can sense the staff wants to rebuild a unit that often felt soft when opponents drove inside the 20. Last season’s defense added just 12 interceptions and ended 58th in the nation in turnovers gained. It’s clear why stronger consistency across the board, especially among the defensive backs, is now a major focus. If the defense doesn’t show up this season, no amount of offensive fireworks will matter. And right now, the fight in the secondary might be the most telling sign of what kind of unit this team wants to be.

USC’s assistant coach D’Anton Lynn put it very honestly when asked about the state of the DB room. “The competitions have been very, very competitive, which is good, but we’ve just been challenging those guys, like, someone separate yourself in that group. Consistency is the biggest thing. I would say building trust and…everyone’s going to have bad plays, but…how bad are your bad plays? Do your bad plays kill us, or do they just hurt us a little bit?” Lynn told USCAthletics. That’s the standard now. You need guys who don’t crumble when things go sideways. Guys who know how to shake off a missed read and bounce back without taking the rest of the defense down with them.

And when it comes to the green dot, the leadership role on the field, things are still fluid. When asked if the staff was close to deciding who gets it, the coach explained, “We’ve had days where it’s on all the inside backers. We’ve had days where we’re putting it on the DBs. We have a couple of practices that are going to be at the stadium where we’ll move the ball. So, I think we’ll have a better idea after.” It’s clear that no one has locked it down yet, and honestly, that’s a good thing. It means the competition is real, and the staff isn’t rushing this decision. They’re waiting to see who rises when the lights are brightest.

That’s what makes this camp special. There’s an edge this year, a hunger. It’s not just about filling depth charts or going through the motions. That green dot is more than a label; it’s a badge of trust. And USC fans can’t wait to see who earns it. Yet whilst the DBs are battling in practice, Coach Lincoln Riley is thoughtfully dissecting last season to steer the team forward.

Riley reflects on near-misses in 2024 and sees building growth

In an interview with NBC Sports’ Matt Cassel, Riley admitted that while the results were unexpected last season, the narrow losses offered a clear lens into the team’s present platform. Cassel pointed out that “five of your six losses were one-possession games. You had the lead in the fourth quarter … is there anything positive you can take away from that, knowing that you’re so close?”

Riley didn’t hide from the discomfort. “The bottom line is that all we’ve ever done is win, and that’s all that we’re used to. So when you don’t, no matter how it comes about, it does not feel good.” But he didn’t linger in regret, either. He pulled on his experience from “two blue blood programs,” emphasizing that in true contender programs, “There’s growth in a climb that’s happening right now.” He reminded everyone that losing five games by narrow margins doesn’t feel great, but it beats down-and-out blowouts any day.

So here’s where USC is: the coach insists on consistency from his defensive backs, the green dot is still open, and Riley is positioning last season’s missteps as steps, not stops, toward progress. The Trojans aren’t merely adding depth; they’re building a defense that won’t collapse late. And with the season looming, that steady incline feels more promising than ever.