FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Time For Some Key Observations As Season Beckons

We are less than two weeks from the start of the season. Are you getting goosebumps from the thought of USC and San Jose State taking the field at the Coliseum?

Here’s some observations about the Trojans as we head into the actual season:

There was a lot of offseason talk about young offensive linemen breaking into the starting lineup but if Kilian O’Connor had not been injured, the same starting five from last season would be the starters.

But O’Connor’s injury has created a question mark at left guard where two inexperienced players (Haydon Treter, Breck Kolojay) will play. That’s an issue for the Oregon game where you face fifth-year players like Bear Alexander.

  • Freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley is expected to start at slot receiver. But the freshman USC has highlighted the most is 17-year-old Boobie Feaster. Who is the star of training camp doesn’t really matter once the season begins but you would think USC would be promoting Mosley more as a starter.
  • Does it matter than wide receiver Tanook Hines has not practiced yet?

When your first three games are basically an exhibition season, no. But Lincoln Riley said he would be ready for the season-opener, so he would need to return soon. Of course, Riley has not revealed what Hines’ injury is, as is his custom.

  • No one has convinced me that after three weeks the linebacker position is still not a key question mark. And those questions will not be answered against inferior competition.
  • USC is ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll, which was released this morning. Ohio State and Oregon are the top two teams.

22 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Time For Some Key Observations As Season Beckons”

  2. KAM:College football 2026: How much does each position cost?

    DON: For the 2026 college football season, a starting quarterback at a competitive Power Four program typically costs between $1 million and $3 million, while elite tier signal-callers are commanding anywhere from $4 million to $6.5 million annually. [

    According to exhaustive industry tracking widespread surveys of general managers and agents by ESPN, the baseline “going rate” to field a competitive roster has surged massively. A typical baseline roster for a Power Four team sits at roughly $22.5 million to $23 million, with powerhouse SEC and Big Ten schools eclipsing $40 million.

    The 2026 Position Cost BreakdownPosition GroupTypical Starter Range (2026)Elite / Premium Tier Market

    Quarterback (QB)$1,000,000 – $3,000,000$3,500,000 – $6,500,000+

    Offensive Tackle (OT)$600,000 – $1,200,000$1,500,000 – $4,000,000+

    Edge Rusher (EDGE)$500,000 – $1,200,000$1,200,000 – $1,700,000

    Wide Receiver (WR)$400,000 – $1,000,000$1,000,000 – $5,000,000

    Defensive Tackle (DT)$500,000 – $1,000,000$1,000,000 – $1,500,000+

    Cornerback (CB)$400,000 – $900,000$1,000,000+

    Safety (S)$300,000 – $900,000$900,000 – $1,000,000

    Running Back (RB)$300,000 – $800,000$1,000,000+

    Interior Offensive Line (OG/C)$400,000 – $800,000$800,000+

    Linebacker (LB)$300,000 – $700,000$700,000+

    Tight End (TE)$300,000 – $600,000$600,000 – $800,000

    Kicker / Punter (K/P)$50,000 – $200,000$150,000 – $200,000

    Long Snapper (LS)$10,000 – $50,000—

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  3. Not excited.

    Instead, I’ll be watching the Pete era DVDs I got a long time ago. I need a reminder of what SC greatness looks like (especially on D).

    Perhaps someone can show Riley the DVDs.

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  5. Primed to explode – best collection of talent since 2008….head coach, coaching staff, facility, athletic director, iconic L. A. Memorial Coliseum, if that’s what the east & southern coast scribes believe so be it – note the usual addiction for ‘the princess’ @ # 4….

    I understand the deep affection for Pete Carroll but he shouldn’t have left (2010) the way he did just as John Robinson bailed back in 1982.

    Candidly noting the long haul (16 years) and bad staff hirings by the current head coach along with the onerous sanctions and previous incompetent head coaches as well as athletic directors a lot has been corrected this past off-season.

    THIS year 2026 is going to a true ‘…return to glory!’

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    1. I wish we still had our highly recruited, starting center [his absence in big games is gonna make a difference]….. but I’m still optimistic, Alv….

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  6. UCLA I hear is months behind on their rent at the Rose Bowl. Where have all the football donors gone….. and the pigeons that watch every home game fly in and out of the stadium for free..

    if the players salaries continue to go up it will cost as much money to attend a college game as an NFL game. I look forward to the day when these big boosters like Phil Knight disappear for the good of the college game.

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    1. KAM: UCLA needs to play their games on campus at Drake Stadium.

      DON: Then they will be able to claim the games are sell outs!

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  7. KAM: Hard to get overly excited by the San Jose game coming up, but Fresno St might be OK

    DON: Most Trojan fans feel that the Oregon game is the real start to the season

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    1. KAM: Fresno State fans do generally travel well—mainly because there’s a coordinated “Red Wave” road presence and a built-in pregame event that brings alumni + fans together in Los Angeles rather than scattering on their own.

      DON: Fresno State’s alumni association is explicitly running a Red Wave Tailgate for the USC matchup at Exposition Park (South Lawn, 3-minute walk), aimed at fans “making the trip from the Central Valley”…

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  9. UCLA Football can now move to the Veterans Administration grounds of Wilshire Blvd. They can play their games at the Jackie Robinson baseball stadium on illegal federal land dedicated to Veterans only not for the UCLA athletic department.

    Now that I think about it many of the old/remaining WW2 Vets living on federal property will remember Red Sanders when UCLA had a football team not like today. Boy, Red had a few too many one afternoon after a luncheon, and then met the woman of his dreams who apparently was too much for him to handle..

    Powder Blue U—–RIP Pepper Rodgers, and most of all Greg Foster, Chip Kelly., and all the “gutty little bruins”….

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    1. It’s always a little bit tough on your publicist when you die at a prostitute’s home at midnight…… ask Nelson Rockefeller’s press liaison…..

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