USC Football Sets CFP Goal for 2026 Under Lincoln Riley

Lincoln Riley told the Big Ten spring media days that USC has “absolutely taken steps now” and that “the program’s ready” to contend for a College Football Playoff. He highlighted a schedule featuring Ohio State, Oregon and Washington at home and road trips to Indiana and Penn State.

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Riley hired former TCU head coach Gary Patterson as defensive coordinator, installing a 4-2-5 scheme. The front seven now includes defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart—a re-classified 2025 recruit who posted 7.5 tackles for loss despite a stress fracture—and defensive end Luke Wafle, a senior with 99 tackles, 37 TFL and 23 sacks. Junior Jide Abasiri and transfer Alex VanSumeren add depth.

Sports Illustrated

USC entered the 2026 cycle with the nation’s No. 1 class, featuring five top-35 prospects and 19 players in the SC Next 300. The secondary was bolstered by four-star safety Gavin Williams (No. 9 by On3/Rivals) and five-star athlete Honor Fa’alave-Johnson. Local pipeline efforts, including helicopter visits, secured commitments from Williams, cornerbacks Aaryn Washington and Danny Lang, creating a “no-fly zone” in the defensive backfield.

Sports Illustrated

In 2025 USC allowed 143.23 rushing yards per game (58th nationally) and recorded 31 sacks (35th). Stewart’s freshman totals included 18 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, a pass deflection, an interception and a fumble recovery. Wafle’s senior production suggests potential to raise both run-stop and pass-rush numbers.

Sports Illustrated

Riley emphasized that “every year is big” and warned that “nothing’s ever a given.” Patterson stressed the need for “versatility, speed and three ball-hawks” to maximize the new scheme. Skyler Jones highlighted Stewart’s “mental makeup” as a key factor.

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Recruiting rankings differ: some outlets list the 2026 class as No. 1, others as No. 8. Projections of how the new defensive pieces will translate to on-field production remain unverified.

The Sporting News

• “Honestly, now it's just time to go do it. It's time. The program's ready for it.” — Lincoln Riley

ESPN

• “I've told people, there was almost like a feeling when you first got here, you're standing in front of a dam and there's just leaks, and you plug one leak and another one pops,” — Lincoln Riley

ESPN

• “Jakeem is super talented, and the difference with Jahkeem that makes somebody that hasn't played ball in a long time have a good season, as he did last year, it's his mental makeup,” — Skyler Jones

Sports Illustrated

• “Every year is big, and I think there is a sense, I certainly understand the rebuild that has happened here.” — Lincoln Riley

The Sporting News

USC’s 2026 slate opens with home games versus Ohio State, Oregon and Washington, then road trips to Indiana and Penn State. Wins could secure a Big Ten title and a CFP berth, the ultimate test of Riley’s rebuilding plan.

ESPN