Experts think USC has a complete roster -- Trojans must now prove it
One CBS analyst rates USC's roster very highly, putting the Trojans in a preseason top 10. Can Lincoln Riley make full use of these resources?
If not now, when? That is the question facing USC football and Lincoln Riley in 2026. Fans rightly demand a College Football Playoff berth.
The expectations should rise if CBS Sports' recent preseason evaluations are to be taken seriously. College Sports Wire has more : "Now, with the transfer portal so prevalent, it's harder than ever for coaches to keep these talented backup players when they could be earning a lot of NIL money and starting elsewhere. Still, there are certain places around the nation where the concept of depth still holds true.
These are the 'complete' rosters that feature both talent at the top and talent in the reserves, capable of playing deep into the winter with the ability to weather injury woes. "Over the weekend, CBS Sports' Brad Crawford r anked the most complete rosters in the nation going into the 2026 season, and unsurprisingly, a vast majority of them belong to the SEC and Big Ten. " Crawford listed USC as having the No.
7 most complete roster in the country. On offense, he might be right. It's on defense where the Trojans really have to prove they belong among the nation's best.