On Feb. 8, 2026, Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold made history by being the first USC quarterback to not only start in the Super Bowl, but to also hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Darnold’s journey is a story of perseverance, faith and hard work. While many fans and media wrote him off, he silenced the skeptics by recording a flawless postseason with 5 TDs, no turnovers, 672 passing yards, a 102.4 passer rating and leading his team to a world championship. In fact, Darnold has now won more Super Bowls than the four teams who let him go combined over the last 31 years.

“As long as you believe in yourself, anything is possible,” said Darnold when reminiscing on his path as the blue and green confetti fell from the sky.

It was Darnold’s time. Everything aligned: the team, the organization and the fan support.

Similarly for his alma mater, the Trojans are experiencing that same type of alignment. From returning the nation’s top quarterback and key veteran players, to signing the unanimous No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the nation, to securing the best coaches in game and opening up what will be college football’s preeminent facility, the time is now for USC Football.

COACHES

USC Football welcomed three new coaches to the defensive side of the ball. Gary Patterson, a decorated former Power Four head coach and defensive innovator, joined the Trojans as their new defensive coordinator. Patterson, who was recently named to the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class, was the head coach at TCU for 21 seasons (2001-21). He was the Horned Frogs all-time winningest head coach with 181 victories (.696) and won 22 national coach of the year honors and four conference coach of the year honors throughout that time. In 2009 and 2014, he was recognized as the National Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, AFCA, FWAA and Walter Camp. He finished his tenure in Fort Worth with a 181-79 record, including an undefeated 13-0 season in 2010 that was capped by a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin.

TCU notched six conference championships under Patterson’s tutelage: Conference USA in 2002, Mountain West in 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and one share of the Big 12 title in 2014, with TCU being the first team left out of the initial four-team College Football Playoff. His teams won at least 10 games in 11 different seasons with 11 AP Top 25 finishes, with seven of those being AP Top 10 finishes, including No. 2 in 2010 and No. 3 in 2014. Prior to his arrival in Fort Worth in 1998, TCU had just four 10-win seasons in its history.

Patterson led TCU to 17 bowl appearances during his tenure, and he went 11-6 in those bowls. He earned BCS berths three times: the 2009 Fiesta Bowl, the 2010 Rose Bowl and the 2014 Peach Bowl. During his 24 years at TCU, including three seasons as defensive coordinator (1998-00), Patterson helped the Horned Frogs to earn 20 bowl trips, and TCU was 13-6 in bowl games with him on its coaching staff. Before the Patterson era, the Horned Frogs had previously been to a total of 17 bowl games between 1896 and his first season as head coach and had only four bowl wins in its history.

In 21 seasons as a head coach, Patterson coached 90 First Team All-Conference selections, 20 First Team All-Americans, 22 Freshman All-Americans, three Academic All-American selections and a Rhodes Scholar. As TCU’s head coach, Patterson had 49 players drafted by the NFL.

Patterson, a defensive savant, helped TCU to lead the nation in total defense five times (2000, 2002, 2008, 2009 and 2010). From 2008-10, TCU became just the third program in NCAA history to lead the nation in total defense in three consecutive seasons.

Mike Ekeler, a highly regarded coach who has over 23 years of experience at some of the winningest college football programs in history, returned to USC for his second stint at Troy and was named special teams coordinator / linebackers coach.

Ekeler is entering his 28th football season overall, including 24 years at the FBS level and 22 years at a Power Four school. He has coached in every power conference while serving on staffs at six of the 12 winningest programs in college football history (USC, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Georgia, Tennessee and LSU).

The 2026 season will be Ekeler’s tenth as a special teams coordinator and he has led some of the best special teams units in the nation.

Paul Gonzales, an experienced defensive backs coach who is familiar with Gary Patterson’s defensive scheme, was named safeties coach / defensive pass game coordinator. He has coached multiple NFL defensive backs as well as a Jim Thorpe Award winner.

USC also elevated Skyler Jones, who most recently served as a defensive analyst for the Trojans from 2023-25. Jones, now USC’s defensive tackles coach, has experience in both college and the NFL, and will continue to enhance the defensive line and develop high-level performers.

SCHEDULE

The Trojans will open up the 2026 season with a Week Zero game on Aug. 29 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against San José State. USC holds a 6-0 all-time record over the Spartans, who are led by head coach Ken Niumatalolo.

USC then welcomes Fresno State of the Mountain West Conference to Southern California on Sept. 5. The Bulldogs, who are led by former USC assistant head coach for defense / linebackers coach Matt Entz, return to the Coliseum for a fifth time in series history. USC is 4-1 all-time against Fresno State (not including 1 win vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 5-1). The Trojans are 37-1-1 versus teams from the Mountain West (not including 2 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 39-1-1).

USC wraps up nonconference play and the team’s three-game homestand on Sept. 12 with a matchup against Louisiana. The Ragin’ Cajuns, led by head coach Michael Desormeaux, will be a new opponent for the Trojans. USC is 1-0 against teams from the Sun Belt Conference, last defeating Arkansas State on Sept. 5, 2015, in the Coliseum.

USC opens Big Ten Conference play on the road at Rutgers on Sept. 19. The Trojans are 1-0 against the Scarlet Knights, last defeating them 42-20 in the Coliseum in 2024. This will be USC’s first trip to Piscataway, N.J. and SHI Stadium.

The Trojans return home to host Oregon on Sept. 26 for the Coliseum’s Big Ten opener. USC holds a 38-24-2 all-time lead in its series with Oregon (not including 1 win vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 39-24-2), last falling to the Ducks 27-42 at Autzen Stadium in 2025.

Another home game awaits the Trojans as they welcome a familiar foe, Washington, to Los Angeles on Oct. 3. USC boasts a 51-32-4 record over the Huskies (not including 1 win vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 52-32-4), last falling to them 21-26 in Seattle in 2024.

USC then travels back to the east coast to challenge Penn State and new head coach Matt Campbell on Oct. 10. The Trojans have not visited Happy Valley since 1994. USC leads the series with the Nittany Lions 6-5 all-time, last falling to them 30-33 in an overtime game in the Coliseum in 2024.

After enjoying a bye week Oct. 17, USC travels to Wisconsin on Oct. 24. The Trojans are 7-1 versus the Badgers, last defeating them 38-21 in the Coliseum in 2024.

The Trojans return home to welcome Ohio State to the Coliseum on Halloween, Oct. 31. USC is 13-10-1 against the Buckeyes, last falling to them 7-24 in the 2017 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

After its second bye week on Nov. 7, USC travels to Bloomington, Ind. to challenge the reigning national champion, Indiana, on Nov. 14. The Trojans boast a 4-0 record over the Hoosiers and haven’t visited Bloomington since 1981 when USC defeated Indiana 21-0.

USC returns to the West Coast for its final home game of the 2026 campaign on Nov. 21, welcoming Maryland to the Coliseum for the first time. USC is 0-1 versus the Terrapins, falling to them 28-29 in 2024.

USC wraps Big Ten play by challenging crosstown rival UCLA and new Bruin head coach Bob Chesney on Nov. 28 at the Rose Bowl. USC leads its series with UCLA, 52-34-7 (not including Troy’s 2004 and 2005 victories that were vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 54-34-7).

The 2026 season will conclude with the annual Big Ten Football Championship Game on Dec. 5, which will feature the top two teams in the overall conference standings at the end of the regular season, with the winner earning the Big Ten Championship. Tiebreaking procedures will be announced at a later date.

ROSTER

The 2026 USC roster has all the pieces: elite returners, experienced portal transfers and the unanimous No. 1 recruiting class in the nation. While some may view this roster as “young”, that assessment wouldn’t be correct. Yes, there is youth among the early enrollees, but keep in mind, these 32 freshmen will have the advantage of an entire offseason getting bigger, faster and stronger with Director of Football Sports Performance Trumain Carroll and diving head-first into the playbook.

“We have a higher percentage of our final roster here for the offseason and spring ball than any of us have ever coached,” said head coach Lincoln Riley. “The developmental piece of that will be huge.”

The new Trojans that were acquired from the portal have an average age of 22-years-old and have a combined 56 starts under their belt. They’re experienced and ready to make an immediate impact in their respective rooms.

Finally, USC is returning 17 starters, the most in the Big Ten Conference. USC’s offense continues to have strong continuity as it is the only team in the nation returning a starting quarterback, head coach and offensive coordinator for the third year in a row. The Trojans return their top three leaders in sack production, their two leading rushers, their leading tackler, a nationally recognized quarterback and the most experienced offensive line in all of college football.

USC is poised to have a showstopping season with the elite personnel that Lincoln Riley has assembled.