Add The California Post on Google The wait is over. A sneak peek is here.
USC is among the handful of college football teams opening the season before the calendar flips to September, giving Trojans fans an early look at what might be in store for 2026.
“I’m glad we’re playing Week 0,” coach Lincoln Riley said. “I’m glad we don’t have to wait another week.”
Of course, openers don’t always tell the story of what’s to come.
USC Trojans running back Waymond Jordan (2) carries the ball for a first down in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect USC’s season-opening triumph over then-No. 13 LSU in 2024 was a prelude to Riley’s worst season with the Trojans, who finished 7-6.
Riley likely won’t be able to withstand another season like that — the conventional wisdom is that his team needs to make the College Football Playoff in 2026 or else — but he has expressed supreme confidence that everything has aligned for something special in the months to come.
Here are five things to watch when the No. 14 Trojans face San Jose State on Saturday at the Coliseum:
Nobody wins the most coveted award in college football by putting up big numbers against a team from the Mountain West Conference.
But USC quarterback Jayden Maiava could certainly make a convincing opening statement by having a great game against what’s expected to be an overmatched defense.
Riley has said he’s looking for another leap from Maiava like the one he made from Year 1 to Year 2 in his offense. If all goes well, Maiava will rest by the start of the fourth quarter, allowing backups Jonas Williams and Sam Huard to sling the ball for a few series.
One of the most intriguing storylines in all of college football will be the return of Patterson, the former longtime TCU coach who wants to show he can still construct a destructive defense.
Will Patterson’s new version still resemble the 4-2-5 scheme that was so effective for so long? Some answers should be apparent starting this weekend.
Riley acknowledged that his players required some adjusting to Patterson’s demanding approach, saying the old ball coach “pushes and pushes and pushes.”
“I think they’ve come to understand and respect the intensity that he brings every day,” Riley said, “and the demand for greatness is, like, there’s no question on our practice field, you feel that from him, and I think it’s been really positive. I think our players responded to it.”
Riley isn’t easing anyone from a top-ranked high school recruiting class into their first college seasons.
As many as five true freshmen will start against the Spartans, with 13 listed as possible contributors on the two-deep.
Perhaps the biggest impact will come at receiver, where tight end Mark Bowman and wide receivers Trent Mosley, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Ethan “Boobie” Feaster are set to start snagging passes.
With sophomore wide receiver Tanook Hines still working his way back from an unspecified offseason medical procedure that might sideline him for the opener, there’s plenty of opportunities for the receivers to catch on quickly.
Waymond Jordan’s return from the ankle injury that ended his season last October will give the Trojans a duo that might be unlike any other in the Big Ten.
Jordan and King Miller, who has packed on a considerable amount of muscle since the end of last season, could give Riley ample reason to run the ball more than at any point since he arrived in LA.
A veteran offensive line that will now feature Tobias Raymond at center in the wake of Kilian O’Connor’s season-ending injury should make running the ball an easy call in almost any situation.
Caden Chittenden of the UNLV Rebels looks on in the second quarter of a game against the Utah Tech Trailblazers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sept. 7, 2024. Getty Images What a kick One of the more spine-tingling storylines of training camp was the reemergence of kicker Caden Chittenden.
After establishing himself as one of the nation’s top kickers as a freshman at UNLV in 2024, Chittenden transferred to USC and went down with a season-ending injury before playing his first game as a Trojan.
Even after Ryon Sayeri replaced him and set a single-season school record by making 21 field goals, Chittenden stuck around to win his job back. He’ll kick field goals against San Jose State, with Sayeri set to handle kickoffs.
