USC fans, you know the feeling. As the fall camp starts, it’s like the college football universe forgets Lincoln Riley even has a team. And in the big 2025, that snub feels downright official. The Trojans have tumbled out of every major preseason Top 25. And for the first time since 2019, it didn’t crack the preseason AP poll. Sure, it stings, but the real ones out west see a team that’s shaping up under the radar with a noticeably tighter defense and some quietly fierce position battles.

But if you want drama, let’s talk quarterbacks. This will be the first season in a while that features a fresh saga under center: the Jayden Maiava era. Last fall, Maiava stepped into the spotlight in relief after Miller Moss’ struggles. And, if we’re honest, it looked like a roller coaster with big throws and ugly turnovers. Now, after a full offseason bathing in Lincoln Riley’s famed quarterback magic, Maiava comes into fall camp not as the kid called off the bench but as USC’s full-time starter. Word is, Riley’s magic has worked yet again.

Riley isn’t shy about sharing the upgrade under center. Riley said, “He is more confident, more self-assured in every way, as a player, as a leader, commanding the offense. He’s not a different person, but it’s like a totally different version of him right now, and it’s fun to see that confidence.” That buy-in from Riley matters. See, confidence under this head coach is less about style and more about substance. Riley’s system has always thrived on leaders who don’t blink. The more Maiava commands, the more dangerous USC’s offense gets, especially now, when everyone’s looking elsewhere for the next big story.

Riley went deeper, saying, “You see his personality really coming out, whereas last year he was just really reserved … not step out of place and not make mistakes. And now it’s just—you just see that swagger and confidence. I think our guys are feeding off that right now.” That’s the transformation the locker room needs. Teammates feel when their quarterback is tentative, and last year those nerves sometimes cut drives short or left plays on the field. Now, with Maiava’s confidence surging, other leaders are emerging, and players are cutting loose. This offense is starting to take on the bold, attacking personality Riley’s best teams always do, and it’s all stemming from their new quarterback’s evolution.

Riley has a knack for letting hype ignore him right before flipping expectations on their head. Maiava’s growth is the axis on which this offense spins, and if that fall camp confidence turns into fall Saturdays swagger, there are going to be a lot of red-faced preseason pollsters and a lot of grinning Trojans fans. Don’t sleep on this new chapter in LA, because come Big Ten play, USC’s slip from the spotlight might just be their secret weapon.

DJ Wingfield Ruling Leaves USC in the Trenches

On August 18, a federal judge in Santa Ana dashed any hopes for DJ Wingfield’s one last ride with the Trojans, upholding the NCAA’s strict five-year rule. The hearing barely lasted 20 minutes, but the impact is massive. Wingfield’s college clock is officially out of time, and so is his $210,000 NIL payday. 

Coach Lincoln Riley voiced what all Trojan supporters were thinking. He said, “Disappointed just for him. I know I spoke a lot on it previously. I don’t know that I have a whole lot to add… I’m really disappointed for him. It’s a very, very unique situation in so many ways. We’ve grown to obviously been around him a lot. Love the kid and just really disappointed for him.” This loss also shakes the depth chart.

Riley admits, “Whether it’s a situation like this, or somebody getting hurt, that’s just part of the game, and the team’s ability to respond to that is just part of the path.” Meaning it’s about the next man up, but it’s a job for more than Band-Aids. Riley listed names like Justin Tauanuu, Tobias Raymond, J’Onre Reed, Kaylon Miller, Micah Banuelos, and Hayden Treter as candidates to fill the left guard spot, all with varying degrees of experience and “position flex.” Wingfield’s absence means positional shuffles and increased pressure on an already thin line.