The USC Trojans enter the 2026 season set to take a major step forward on defense. Following the departure of D’Anton Lynn to the Penn State Nittany Lions, USC coach Lincoln Riley brought in former TCU coach Gary Patterson as the Trojans new defensive coordinator.
Patterson has the opportunity to bring a brand new identity and energy to USC’s defense as they look to navigate through what is expected to be a difficult 2026 schedule and make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.
While USC is set to return several top contributors to its defense next season and brought in a few key pieces in the transfer portal, these three defensive players enter 2026 flying under the radar for the Trojans.
Marcelles Williams, Cornerback
A critical part of the Trojans’ secondary, the Carson, California native, cornerback Marcelles Williams looks to take a major step forward for USC next season. During his freshman season with the Trojans, Williams finished the year collecting 41 total tackles and four passes defended.
Performance in pass coverage has also been a struggle for the Trojans in previous seasons under Riley, and Williams looks to help USC’s secondary improve with a dominant showing during his sophomore year.
Jadyn Walker, Defensive Tackle
Last season, USC’s linebacker group was one of the most inexperienced on the Trojans roster. Entering the 2026 season, the group is also looking to take a step forward, and one of the players in the room who aims to benefit from that growth is linebacker Jadyn Walker.
The Portage, Michigan native, Walker is coming off a freshman season in which he had 33 total tackles and one sack. Some of his best performances of the 2025 season came at home in ranked matchups against the Michigan Wolverines and Iowa Hawkeyes, both wins for the Trojans.
In those two wins for USC, Walker had an impact on defense for the Trojans, recording five sacks or more in both contests. Now entering a 2026 Big Ten schedule that is expected to feature several challenging matchups for the Trojans that will determine their fate in making the CFP, Walker looks to make an impact.
Zuriah Fisher, EDGE
One of USC’s 10 transfers added this offseason, former Penn State Edge rusher Zuriah Fisher, arrives in Los Angeles looking to be a difference-maker for the Trojans pass rush. In his four seasons with the Nittany Lions, Fisher recorded 42 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
The 6-3, 259-pound edge rusher out of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, has the opportunity to earn quality reps on the Trojans’ defensive line next season alongside top contributors Jahkeem Stewart and Braylan Shelby.
Creating pressure on the quarterback is one of the areas Patterson looks to add to his defensive scheme in his first season with the Trojans, as making big third or fourth-down steps could be the difference in several of USC’s marquee matchups on their 2026 schedule.
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