Best position by position analysis of USC

[Java]

2026 and look back at the last couple years you will read.  Blows through the rewriting hype and gets to actual performance and who can be counted on for what.  This is a great read and worth lots of discussion

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/duck-dive-usc-football-2026-140100772.html

[Butkus51]

Dang it Bruddah Java, I would have liked reading da article, but I can not see nor read Yahoo sports?  Wipe out.  It’s been this way for about 6 months.  Weird, I can see & read Yahoo news and other categories.  Bet it was a very interesting read…  Cheers

[Java]

Can’t read it like you’re protesting or can’t read it like it won’t come up on your phone?

[Butkus51]

No for some reason, my computer when I click a Yahoo sports article, the title come up but the write up section is empty and blurred.  It’s started maybe 6 months ago.  I can see/read all other Yahoo categories, news, etc…  Weird…  Cheers

[Butkus51]

Oh Bruddah Java, how about if you take the time to cut and paste it as a reply?  Would love reading dat Yahoo sports article…  Cheers

[Java]

This will be the sixteenth film study article I’ve written for this site on the USC Trojans since 2019 – eight Summer roster dives, four in-season previews, and four transfer evaluations. I’ve spoken to my friend Alicia about every one of them, and in our conversations over the years we’ve developed several overarching observations about program management, playcalling, and individual position units (or as we referred to it on this week’s podcast, subplots on a long-running telenovella).

While each are important in their own way, we discussed three major issues as key to why, despite their natural advantages, USC has missed the playoffs so far under Coach Riley, but are turning around in 2026:

Misplaced recruiting priorities and resources
Pursuing a transfer-based offensive line
Underperforming then replacement-value DCs

As Alicia noted, given Riley’s offensive prowess and the program’s high floor of skill talent, any one of these problems might have been survivable in the four-team playoff era and two might have been in the twelve-team era, but all three combined have been fatal. However, recent changes within the program in NIL resource allocation have resulted in a top recruiting class for 2026, they’ve made a radical turnaround in committing to homegrown linemen, and this season they’ve hired (in my opinion) a future hall-of-fame coach in DC Patterson.

We discussed at length on the podcast why USC will probably be stronger in its fundamental metrics and deep progress indicators this Fall, but it may not be until next year that the Trojans see the full benefits of these changes. For one thing, they’re at a schematic crossroads on offense – almost by accident, Riley found more success by getting away from his unique power-RPO scheme last year, which demands quite a reckoning.

For another, the schedule — despite not playing Notre Dame for only the third time in the last 80 years, with the last two misses owing to the global covid pandemic and World War II — has overall gotten much tougher as they’ll play Ohio State and Indiana for the first time since joining the conference, Penn State and UCLA have upgraded their coaching staffs, and in general the defenses they’ll face are more sophisticated.

It’s also simply the case that these are long-term investments which will probably take the course of a year’s worth of installation and acclimation, especially given the mixed state of the 2025 roster and attrition from it for happy and unhappy reasons. Tracking how each unit is dealing with these changes and how likely they are to be immediately ready with playable depth will take up the bulk of this article.

 

Butkus, lemme know when you’re done reading this and I will copy the next

[Java]

https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/4DLLOwl1OhTJu_1O.Aq4Kw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU1NjtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/sb_nation_articles_115/ca0d78b0efa63384f440b4099bdbaa91

 

https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/4DLLOwl1OhTJu_1O.Aq4Kw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU1NjtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/sb_nation_articles_115/ca0d78b0efa63384f440b4099bdbaa91

[Java]

Each of the changes to the passing offense going from 2024 to the 2025 version of Coach Riley’s offense — most of which were predicted in last year’s preview, with one major exception — paid off. Bringing in #14 QB Maiava and starting him in the last four games of the 2024 season to get him a jump on 2025 was valuable as he ran the offense more effectively than his predecessor, finishing the year with a 157.8 NCAA passer rating which is a little less than a standard deviation above FBS median. Maiava’s greater mobility was an asset both in the RPO game — on 30 meaningful non-scramble carries, he had a 70% success rate and 6.5 adjusted YPC, making him the best per-carry back on the team — and in escaping pocket pressure to minimize negative plays.

The two most significant downsides to Maiava’s game in 2025 were both pretty manageable: first, in watching tape and confirmed with pace-of-play regression, he went through predictable periods of frustration and forcing the ball into traffic which tends to result in an interception about once a game (Alicia called them “QB psychosis”), but he seemed to flush it quickly and it didn’t recur in the same game. Second, when he broke the pocket under pressure he very rarely picked up gains with his legs, instead keeping his eyes downfield for a throw, but also very rarely actually completed one for anything close to what he would have gotten if pressure hadn’t gotten through – that is, defensive pressure was almost always an effective way to keep the offense in neutral, if not make it go backwards.

I expect Maiava to continue to mature in his redshirt senior season in 2026; on my tally sheet the arc of his QB error rate progress is on-model for about a 170 passer rating finish to his career … though it should be said that many of the factors that could derail this are outside of his control. Alicia and I are both expecting better protection from growth and better depth on the offensive line, for the NFL wide receivers to be replaced smoothly from a bumper crop of promising recruits, and for Coach Riley to find adequate schematic workarounds for both the big question mark at tight end and the dilemma of returning to the power-RPO or sticking to the simplified shotgun spread he used much more frequently in 2025. If any of those things don’t happen … well, it wouldn’t be the first time expectations were missed in Heritage Hall.

Freshman QB Husan Longstreet has transferred out, while senior and former King County All-Star #7 QB S. Huard remains as a backup. Regrettably, Alicia told me that Huard is not going to go back to throw the ball, as mid 4-star prep recruit #15 QB J. Williams will almost certainly be the primary backup inserted in any situation in which Maiava is unavailable (with the possible exception of the very first week). She told me Williams chased Longstreet out of the room because he’s even more ready to play straight out of high school, is more mobile than and has trivialized the passing gap with Huard, and is clearly the future when Maiava leaves at the end of this year.

[Butkus51]

Author wrote:  She told me Williams chased Longstreet out of the room because he’s even more ready to play straight out of high school, is more mobile than and has trivialized the passing gap with Huard, and is clearly the future when Maiava leaves at the end of this year.

We learned Longstreet left because, 1. he asked for more money (told USC what LSU was offering) and GM Bowden said No, won’t even match LSU offer.  Longstreet knew about C.LR R Jonas Williams and he committed to USC anyway.  The 2nd reason, QB Maiava returned for 2026, he thought Maiava was gonna leave and he would take over QB1 in 2026 with Jona’s as back up.  Nah, Longstreet left because of greed and Miava coming back…

And, agree with them Maiava should be even better than 2025.  But, he must run sometimes just like 2025; dat kept D’s guessing and unsure about Maiave RPR options.  And, many fans think Maiava is unathletic?  Nah disagree, Maiava is an above average athlete for a QB and gald he is our QB1 for 2026.  Man, looking forward seeing a more mature, polished Maiava run C. LR O, it’s gonna be a top 3 total O in nation…  Cheers

• This reply was modified 2 months, 2 weeks ago by Butkus51.

[Butkus51]

Thanks Bruddah Java for pasting the article.  OK, it was a good read.  But, they missed key problems.

1.  The entire team is pretty soft, not a physical team (yet).  The players must get down to physical FB.  Must improve FB conditioning.

2.  LB’s and DB’s have been big problems.  Bad tacklers, terrible instincts, players get lost in their assignments.  Can’t find the ball, play slow.

3.  Lacks team leadership.  Team needs at least 3-4 guys dat can lead the team thru tuff play and high energy.

Arthur: For one thing, they’re at a schematic crossroads on offense – almost by accident, Riley found more success by getting away from his unique power-RPO scheme last year, which demands quite a reckoning.

Arthur failed to recognized, USC loss RB1 & RB2 to season ending injury early.  USC were rushing 200+ yds per game early on which helped Maiava passing game.  Shoot USC avg 570 yds per game.  Shoot, thanks to King Miller and others, they did a very good job, averaging 140+ yds per game.  Injuries will happen for any team, it was a good thing in 2025 the RB room was deep.

2026 O will be good again.  The big ? is the D.  DC Patterson must fix the D; he has the talent so there should not be any excuse.  If he gets USC in the top 10-15 D in nation, I think USC will make the CFP (one of 3 B1G representatives, Oregon, Ohio St, USC).  Shoot Ohio St has a killer schedule and may not make the CFP.  So Indiana will take its place and make the CFP.

PS.  We were gone all day Saturday visiting our daughter.  Staying over night and having Sunday Brunch in Manhunt Beach.  Cheers

• This reply was modified 2 months, 2 weeks ago by Butkus51.

[Java]

There’s more. I’ll cut and paste when I remember.

[Butkus51]

Author wrote:  She told me Williams chased Longstreet out of the room because he’s even more ready to play straight out of high school, is more mobile than and has trivialized the passing gap with Huard, and is clearly the future when Maiava leaves at the end of this year.

I disagree, Longstreet left because, 1. he asked for more money (told USC what LSU was offering) and GM Bowden said No, won’t even match LSU offer.  Longstreet knew about C.LR R Jonas Williams and committed to USC anyway.  2nd reason, QB Maiava returned for 2026, he thought Maiava was gonna leave and he would take over QB1 in 2026 with Jona’s as back up.  Nah, Longstreet left because of greed and Maiava coming back…

Agree with them Maiava should be even better than 2025.  But, he must continue running sometimes just like 2025; dat kept D’s guessing and thinking.  Plus there are fans think Maiava is un-athletic?  Nah disagree, Maiava is an above average athlete for a QB (4.75 40 yds which is B+ speed) Shoot, glad he is our QB1 for 2026.  Man, looking forward seeing a more mature, polished Maiava run C. LR O, it’s gonna be a top 3 total O in nation…  Cheers

• This reply was modified 2 months, 2 weeks ago by Butkus51.
• This reply was modified 2 months, 2 weeks ago by Butkus51.

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