Three Reasons USC Could Make the College Football Playoff Next Season
Heading into the 2026 season, the USC Trojans and coach Lincoln Riley have an opportunity to make the College Football Playoff for the first time, with the pressure seeming to ramp up each season.
While the Trojans have been unable to qualify for the CFP thus far, three factors indicate that next season could be USC's best opportunity under Riley to make the College Football Playoff and potentially make a deep run in it.
Quarterback Jayden Maiava's Potential
One of the more important players for USC in 2026 is, without question, quarterback Jayden Maiava, who took a major step forward with his performance last season. In Maiava's 2025 campaign, he recorded 3,711 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while completing 65.8 percent of his passes.
In addition to Maiava's production as a quarterback, he also added 157 yards and six touchdowns on the ground as a rusher. Throughout Maiava's collegiate career, he has shown the ability to progress each season, and with Riley, the 2026 season could be Maiava's best yet.
During Riley's coaching career, he has consistently developed quarterbacks who have excelled at the collegiate level and later found success in the NFL. With Maiava, Riley has been able to help him take major steps forward each season, which could mean great things for USC's offense next season.
In the Big Ten, having great quarterback play almost feels like a requirement, especially when considering that teams like Ohio State and Oregon have consistently had great play at that position. With players like Ohio State's Julian Sayin and Oregon's Dante Moore, Maiava will have plenty of tests in 2026, but if he can perform well, the Trojans should have an opportunity to win some of the tougher games on USC's schedule.
As the Trojans prepare for the 2026 season, Maiava's performance is critical, but with his past progression in mind, it seems he has a great chance to take a step forward and potentially lead USC to its best showing under Riley.
Continuity in the Trenches
With the return of Maiava, the Trojans also get the benefit of having continuity along the offensive line, as all five starters from a season ago are returning to USC for next season.
The returning starters include Elijah Paige at left tackle, Tobias Raymond at left guard, Kilian O'Connor at center, Alani Noa at right guard, and Justin Tauanuu at right tackle. With the return of all five starters, USC has the opportunity to build on what they accomplished last season, which could give Riley the chance to add more to the playbook without having to take a step back upfront.
In addition to being able to expand the playbook for the offensive line, Riley should also have the confidence that this group will perform after a solid showing in 2025 on the ground and protecting Maiava in the pass game.
Last season, USC averaged 169.46 rush yards per game, which ranked 55th in the country. For the Trojans to be able to run the ball with decent effectiveness was very helpful in being able to stay on track. If USC can improve its ground game with the continuity they have up front, the Trojans could have an even more explosive offense.
In the pass game, USC allowed just 15 sacks last season, ranking 12th in the nation. In the Big Ten, there are several great pass rush units, and the Trojans held up very well to protect Maiava. Limiting the hits that Maiava takes is critical for USC's success during conference play and what the Trojans hope to be a deep College Football Playoff run. The continuity for the offensive line also gives the Trojans the ability to pick up stunts and limit free rushers that defenses have.
Based on the continuity that USC has on the offensive line, taking a step forward in the run game and the pass game is not out of the question, and could give the Trojans an opportunity to have one of the better offensive line units in the Big Ten.
Key Returning Weapons
For Maiava to have success in 2026, he needs to have weapons he can rely on, and heading into 2026, there are a few weapons that return from 2025 and could have major impacts.
In the backfield, USC gets the benefit of King Miller and Waymond Jordan, both returning to lead the Trojans' rush attack.
In 2025, Miller totaled 156 carries for 972 yards and eight touchdowns with an average of 6.2 yards per carry. Jordan was also productive, as he had 88 attempts for 576 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards per attempt before being injured halfway through the season against Michigan.
With the tandem of Miller and Jordan returning and expected to be healthy, USC's rush attack has a great blend of speed and power, which could help the Trojans to create a productive and explosive run game that may be one of the more dangerous in the Big Ten.
On the perimeter, USC also gets the benefit of returning wide receiver Tanook Hines, who had a great performance in 2025 as the Trojans' third option behind Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane, who have both left USC for the NFL.
In Hines' 2025 campaign with the Trojans, he recorded 34 receptions for 561 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his versatility as a receiver with the ability to line up almost anywhere across offensive formations. Hines really showed his potential as a number one receiver in the Alamo Bowl against TCU when he had six receptions for 163 yards and gave the defense problems all night long.
As USC heads into next season, Maiva having a weapon like Hines could be very beneficial and potentially lead to the Trojans having one of the more dynamic passing attacks in the Big Ten and potentially in the country.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as Three Reasons USC Could Make the College Football Playoff Next Season.
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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 6:09 PM.