What the release of the USC Trojans' depth chart means for Week 1

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The release of the USCTrojans' official 2026 Game 1 depth chart did give clarity on many fronts, but it also created some questions surrounding the team at the start of the season. It is very clear, though, that this Trojans team is banking on the young guys to get them back to their winning days.

Here is what we learned following the release of the Trojans' depth chart:

Lincoln Riley and staff have full trust in freshmen

Any time freshmen are put in a position to see the field early, that takes a lot of trust. This season, for the Trojans, there will be four starters who are freshmen and one other freshman who is in competition to start, corner Elbert Hill. The Trojans welcomed in a super talented recruiting class, and so far they are banking on each of their young guys to show something early.

Highly touted recruits are panning out

Luke Wafle was a 5-star recruit this past offseason, and now he is the starting edge to start the year. The Trojans' three 4-stars on offense, Trent Mosley, Mark Bowman, and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, will all be starting at their position to begin the season. Not only did the Trojans bring in the best talent this offseason, but the return on investment looks very promising. Each of the freshmen from the 2026 class this past offseason will make a strong impact in their roles. All the way from the recruits who are now starting to the ones who will be in depth roles.

The Trojans have some injuries to monitor

Both Terrell Anderson and Braylon Shelby were nowhere to be found on the depth chart upon release. These are two guys who are expected to have big seasons this year for USC. Not having them ready for Week 1 is less than ideal. The Trojans will be able to find success in this stretch of non-conference games without the 2, but when Week 5 comes around vs the Oregon Ducks, USC will need all hands on deck. In the meantime, with these 2 injuries, USC will get to see where their exciting freshmen are at.

No running back has been chosen as the lead back

On the depth chart, the running back position did not give any clarity on who the Trojans' lead back will be this season. The Trojans more than likely will give each back the same amount of carries and see which one separates himself. Regardless of the uncertainty, the Trojans will have two high-quality, starting-level backs making plays for the offense. This, compared to other problems, is a great problem to have.

Jonas Williams and Sam Huard are in competition for backup quarterback

Just like the running back position, there is no clarity yet on who won the backup quarterback position. That bodes very well for where Jonas Williams, the talented freshman, currently is. He is the guy who may get the keys after this season, and he already has a chance to steal the backup role from longtime veteran Sam Huard. The Trojans should be in a good spot with either quarterback; however, the talent in Jonas Williams does give USC a higher ceiling if Maiava has to miss time. In the non-conference stretch of games, I want to see Jonas Williams get more reps than Huard.

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: What the release of the USC Trojans' depth chart means for Week 1

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