When 32 freshman football gamers filed excitedly into the assembly room at John McKay Center in January for their first official assembly at USC, each new Trojan from the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in 2026 was requested to stand up, share their title, quantity, place and an attention-grabbing fact about them.

This was fairly customary fare, as far as ice-breakers go. Albeit with one notable distinction from past years.

“It was abnormally long [this year,] for sure,” senior offensive lineman Tobias Raymond said, with a giggle.

As USC opened spring practice on Tuesday, a cursory look through its spring roster would inform you just how a lot the Trojans will need those freshmen to discover their footing — and fast — in a season probably to be outlined by their development. Nearly half of the gamers in attendance for Tuesday’s first day (46 of 103) have been either freshmen or redshirt freshmen. That’s virtually triple the current measurement of USC’s junior or senior lessons (16).

If the Trojans have any hope of making the College Football Playoff for the first time in 5 tries under Lincoln Riley, an influx of 18- and 19-year-olds will play a major half.

“There’s a lot of new guys,” Riley said Tuesday. “Getting a look at these people, seeing where they’re at in terms of their development and where they’ve gotta go, I think the evaluation process is going to be really important.”

At no place will that be more important than go catcher, where USC must exchange its top two broad receivers, Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane, and top two tight ends, Lake McRee and Walker Lyons. In their place steps a deep crop of younger gifted choices, all hoping to emerge this spring.

There will definitely be no scarcity of alternative for USC’s 4 incoming freshmen receivers (Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Trent Mosley, Luc Weaver and Tron Baker) and two incoming tight ends (freshman Mark Bowman and junior faculty switch Josiah Jefferson) to make that impression. In addition to the void left by Lemon and Lane’s departures, the Trojans will also be without their top returning wideout this spring, as Tanook Hines will sit out your entire session following an offseason process.

Hines, who’s only a sophomore, might most likely use the next 5 weeks of spring to develop, contemplating how a lot of the Trojans passing assault is probably going to relaxation on his shoulders this fall. But Riley said he thought Hines’ absence might truly be “a blessing in disguise” for the remainder of the room.

“All these guys, they’re going to get a ton of reps and they all need them,” Riley said. “What a phenomenal opportunity for all those other guys to develop and to take advantage of those reps. We’re going to need that.”

That directive has been clear enough to USC beginning quarterback Jayden Maiava since the Trojans’ fleet of freshmen arrived on campus. Maiava has spent a lot of the past two months attempting to construct a connection with younger gamers on both sides of the ball, taking them out to dinners, watching movie with them, strolling through the playbook and even conducting players-only periods on the practice subject.

“It’s a big impact for the guys I’m going out there with,” Maiava said Tuesday. “Just letting them know I care about them and I care about their success. I want the best for them, and I want them to know that.”

In his third season as starter, Maiava gained’t have the benefit of one of faculty football’s best pass-catching pairs at his disposal. He’ll also enter 2026 on the shortlist for the Heisman Trophy — and all the stress that comes with that.

Offensive coordinator Luke Huard said last month that Maiava has had “a tremendous sense of urgency” since the end of last season.

Raymond, who will snap to Maiava as a heart this spring, said the quarterback’s communication has improved “exponentially.”

“Seeing when someone is down or seeing when someone has a good play and picking them up or congratulating them, but also getting on people when they do something wrong,” Raymond said. “If he sees something, he calls it out. If he sees something good, he calls it out.”

Receiver isn’t the only spot where freshmen will get a critical likelihood to compete next season. On the offensive line, five-star offensive sort out Keenyi Pepe — at 6-foot-7, 330 kilos — already seems to be fairly succesful of contributing on a Big Ten entrance. The same could possibly be said of edge rusher Luke Wafle — 6-foot-6, 265 kilos — and defensive tackles Jameion Winfield — 6-foot-3, 325 kilos — all of whom have been five-star prospects.

Still, it could take some time for that younger expertise to show through, with USC also breaking in both a new protection and particular groups ideas. But for what the Trojans will probably lack in expertise this spring, they’ll make up for, in some half, with depth.

“We’ve never had a spring practice, none of us in all of our years, that we’ve had this high of a percentage of your full roster already here for spring,” Riley said. “Which is a huge advantage.”

There’s still the small matter of getting all those newcomers to jell. But on that notice, Riley thinks speak of USC’s youth motion overlooks how many gifted gamers are returning.

“We’ve kind of gotten painted on the outside as just this crazy young team,” Riley said. “Like, we do have some really good youth, and I know that class has gotten some attention in terms of how that recruiting process played out, but we’ve got a lot of guys that have played a lot of ball here. … You like the talent that we have, you like the returners. I love the guys we brought in. But like one of the best sports franchises of all time said, ‘You’re not collecting talent, you’re building a team.’

“We’ve got talent. Now we’ve got to build a team.”

Injury report

In addition to being down its No. 1 receiver, USC might be without two of its returning starters on the offensive line this spring. Center Kilian O’Connor and proper sort out Justin Tauanuu will sit out while recovering from surgical procedures. Left sort out Elijah Paige didn’t practice on Day 1 of spring ball, either.

Cornerbacks Jontez Williams and Chasen Johnson and security Christian Pierce gained’t take part this spring, either, Riley said Tuesday.

Running back Waymond Jordan was restricted to start spring ball, as was defensive sort out Jahkeem Stewart.