2 weeks Ago
LOS ANGELES — USC began laying the groundwork for its 2025 season when it opened spring practice on Tuesday. The Trojans have three practices in the books. Here’s what we’ve learned.
1. Five-star freshman quarterback Husan Longstreet is the highest-rated newcomer on the roster this spring. Jayden Maiava started four games in Lincoln Riley’s offense late last season and has another season’s worth of starting experience at UNLV.
That makes him the clear favorite to be the opening-day starter for USC. Advertisement But Longstreet has the potential to be the long-term answer for Riley and the Trojans, so he will be a major storyline moving forward. Riley noted that Longstreet had the benefit of practicing with the team during bowl prep, so Tuesday wasn’t his first college practice.
And Longstreet attended meetings and practices before he signed, so he was about as prepared as a true freshman could be for his first day of spring ball. “It’s paid off because he’s way further ahead than most guys would be at this age,” Riley said. “His ability to communicate and manage the group right now as a young guy is pretty impressive.
” I don’t take Riley’s words to mean that there is a quarterback competition, but I do find it interesting comparing his thoughts on Longstreet with how he spoke about Malachi Nelson — the other five-star QB he signed at USC — a few years ago. Of course, Nelson was limited by a shoulder injury when he arrived as an early enrollee, but it felt like Riley always spoke about the progress that Nelson needed to make. Nelson lasted just one year at USC.
It’s still only a few practices in, but Riley’s tone when speaking about Longstreet is quite different. on the field again 🔄 pic.twitter.
com/qWzNmfDTlk — USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) March 27, 2025 2. The other ballyhooed addition for USC this past recruiting cycle was four-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, who was arguably the most significant recruiting win of Riley’s tenure in Los Angeles. USC has a lot of good players on its roster.
However, the Trojans need more high-ceiling talent, especially along the defensive front, and the 6-foot-5, 290-pound Stewart is just that. Stewart is listed as a defensive end, but has the size and athleticism to line up pretty much anywhere on the D-line. “Physically, there’s no doubt he’s going to have an opportunity to help,” Riley said.
“It’ll just be about his progress out here (on the practice field).” Advertisement Riley pointed out a few things that will determine how much Stewart contributes early on — how he picks up the playbook and how he adjusts to facing college offensive linemen. The latter will be particularly important, considering Stewart didn’t play a ton of varsity football due to transfer rules in Louisiana and the fact that he reclassified and should now be in the second semester of his junior year.
Stewart arrived at USC with plenty of hype. The program likely had to invest a lot in him on the NIL front. But there have been positive reviews of how he’s carried himself early on.
“He’s a cool person. He works. He knows the goal,” sophomore defensive end Kameryn Fountain said.
“He (knew) what it (was) when he got here. He came to work, good person, stayed humble.” Junior defensive end Braylan Shelby said: “(He’s) physical, really locked in.
I like where his headspace is at. I like where he’s developing and growing. He’s going to be a star.
Y’all are going to see soon, though.” 3. Shelby and Fountain are two promising defensive ends and were both top-100 prospects in their respective recruiting cycles.
Shelby was asked what he’s worked on this offseason. “That pass rush,” he said. “We need to get home way more this season.
Been practicing a lot of different pass-rush moves.” The Trojans finished with a meager 21 sacks last season, which ranked 92nd nationally. While USC did have some intriguing talent on the defensive line, it lacked a true, proven pass rusher.
That was made abundantly clear whenever the defense took the field late in games needing a stop to seal the win but couldn’t get off the field because it didn’t have someone who could truly disrupt an offense up front. Shelby, Fountain and Lucas have combined for seven career sacks. If USC’s defense is going to take a step forward this season, it needs its pass rushers to make a significant leap.
Advertisement 4. Despite their need for playmakers on the defensive front, the Trojans are not expected to pursue Stanford edge rusher David Bailey out of the transfer portal, according to a source briefed on the matter. Bailey had 14.
5 sacks, 22.5 tackles for loss and seven forced fumbles in his three seasons with the Cardinal. His play was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise awful Stanford defense.
Bailey’s recruiting decision out of Mater Dei came down to Stanford and USC in December 2021. Shortly after he was hired, Riley made a push and got Bailey, whose sister attended USC, to campus. But Stanford won out.
Bailey will be one of the most sought-after players in the upcoming transfer cycle, but USC — for now — is not expected to be in the mix. 5. Some other news regarding USC’s defensive line: Lucas is still not a full practice participant after he missed the second half of last season with a lower leg injury, which required surgery in October.
Riley said that it’s possible Lucas will be able to practice this spring, but the staff is going to take it slow with its starting defensive end. “Certainly won’t get into full contact, full speed,” Riley said. “We’re being smart with it.
” Kentucky transfer Keeshawn Silver is also not full-go at practice yet. The 6-4, 331-pound Silver was a significant addition this winter and figures to plug the middle of USC’s defense. Riley acknowledged that the staff knew Silver required a “little cleanup” on his knee when he transferred.
But as far as when Silver will be a full practice participant, Riley said, “We’ll see.” 6. Maiava is going to be under major scrutiny this season.
That comes with the territory for any USC starting quarterback, but it’s also because Maiava was so inconsistent during his four starts to end last season. Which Maiava will show up down-to-down is a big question. But this is his second year in Riley’s offense, which should benefit him.
And he’ll start this spring with the knowledge that he’s in the lead in the starting quarterback race. Consistent first-team reps should also help. Advertisement Riley has noticed the redshirt junior is more confident as a player, in the offense and in his relationships with his teammates.
“That’s what we’re going to need him to be,” Riley said. “I came in last year and was a little, kind of lost in some ways, but I’ve definitely found my way being able to connect with these coaches,” Maiava said. “These coaches have been a huge help for me, so I’ve been more (intentional) in everything I do.
” Maiva admitted that he had happy feet when he was thrown into the starting lineup. Even though he started for a season at UNLV, it was abundantly clear last year that he’s still raw, especially from a technical standpoint. He said this offseason offered him the chance to reflect on those issues during film study, and he’s trying to iron them out on the practice field this spring.
“He’s not one that you really worry about getting complacent or not wanting to work on the areas he knows he needs to attack,” Riley said. “For him, it’s more like, don’t be so hard on yourself, we’ll be plenty hard enough on you. Make sure you give yourself credit for the plays you have made and the progress you have made as well.
So I think, for him, it’s a little bit of that balance.” Maiava’s ability to find that balance will go a long way in determining USC’s trajectory this fall. 8.
Riley described the linebacker unit as “thin” but also expressed excitement about the talent level. Desman Stephens II and Eric Gentry are the front-runners to start, but I believe the Trojans should target the position in the transfer portal. Gentry is talented and can make an impact when he’s on the field, but he’s missed multiple games because of injury in two of his three seasons at USC.
If there is an injury to either Stephens or Gentry, the Trojans would have to count on some inexperienced options, and that would not be a fun experiment in the Big Ten. So that’s an obvious position of need. Advertisement 9.
Former linebacker Elijah Newby will practice at defensive end this spring. Newby looks the part physically at 6-foot-3, 232 pounds, but USC wants to see how his athleticism translates to the edge. “He’s got the talent, the mindset,” Riley said of the redshirt freshman.
“There’s definitely a role. This guy is going to make an impact. I think it’s us and him kind of finding that right spot.
” 10. The media hadn’t spoken to safety Kamari Ramsey much since he decided to return to USC for another season instead of opting for the NFL Draft. “(I) have some unfinished business, things I wanted to improve, work on, put stuff on tape,” Ramsey said on Thursday.
“After long talks with my family, coach (D’Anton) Lynn, coach (Doug) Belk, coach Riley, the best decision for me and my family was to come back and play another year.” Ramsey’s return was huge for the USC defense. He is a tremendous tackler, especially in the open field, and his football IQ stands out in nearly every game.
He is the lone returning starter in the secondary. The battle for the other starting safety spot should be compelling. The staff brought in NC State transfer Bishop Fitzgerald, but junior Christian Pierce has been patiently waiting for his chance and will be heard from in the competition as well.
“Really, my expectations are just to give my all like I’ve been doing every year,” Pierce said. “Trying to make as many plays as I can on special teams, same as when I get the opportunity on defense.” (Photo of Jayden Maiava: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images).
