USC football report card versus Fresno State - Trent Mosley A-plus
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The USC Trojansdidn't play a perfect game against Fresno State. There are legitimate reasons for concern with Oregon a few weeks away. Yet, there were undeniably some signs of real progress for this team. If you are optimistic about the Oregon game and the season as a whole, you could make a strong argument about the evolution of the Trojans in 2026. Here's our report card for the team against Fresno State:
Trent Mosley: A+
Whoa. Trent Mosley is a freshman playing like a superstar. He is electric. He is overwhelming. He is a dude. He is USC's best receiver just two games into the season. He could be an equation-changing player for this team and offense.
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Jayden Maiava: A
The 25 of 29 stat line against San Jose State looked good on paper, but Maiava threw some inaccurate passes in that game, only for his receivers to bail him out and make him look better than he actually played. This time against Fresno State, the 23 of 25 stat line reflected how well he performed. Maiava threw strikes all night long and looked like the elite quarterback we expect him to be.
Jide Abasiri: A
The man is a wrecking ball up front. He helped score USC's two safeties. He is blowing up weaker offensive linemen. Top marks.
Kennedy Urlacher: A
Gary Patterson used Urlacher expertly with blitzes which led to a safety and a sack-fumble. Kennedy Urlacher made a huge impact against Fresno State. More of this, please.
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt: A
Mosley is the best receiver on this team, but Dixon-Wyatt isn't far behind. Having a strong 1-2 punch from two freshmen is a great sign for USC.
Wide receivers / Dennis Simmons: A
We said before the season that receiver coach Dennis Simmons had to develop quality depth in his position group. He is doing that. The results could not be much better, and keep in mind this is with Terrell Anderson out and Tanook Hines recovering from injury. This unit has a lot of room in which to grow.
Defensive line: A-
Fresno State's offensive line might not be that good, but a strong defensive line should make a weak O-line look bad. This position group is doing well without Jahkeem Stewart. It's very encouraging.
Linebackers: B+
The linebackers are lining up properly and aren't getting physically outclassed. It's a real improvement from 2025. Mike Ekeler is doing a strong job so far this season.
Secondary: B
Much, much better than last week, but let's pump the brakes and acknowledge that Fresno State's receivers weren't particularly impressive. Still: USC got better, and that should certainly be noted.
Running backs: B-
No home runs yet for this group. We need to see more dynamism from this unit. However, the limitations of the running backs are connected to the night's surprisingly subpar group:
Offensive line: C-
We did not expect the offensive line to grade out poorly, but here we are. Fresno State's defensive line punched USC in the mouth in the first quarter. The Trojans did not run block well for large portions of this game. Pass protection was fine, but run blocking was clearly below the expected standard. That can't persist. Zach Hanson has a lot to clean up before the Oregon game.
Gary Patterson: A
A shutout. What more can you expect? Players celebrated with Coach P after the game, a sign of how much they trust him and enjoy playing for him. This was a very good night for the new defensive sheriff in town.
Lincoln Riley: B+
A very good night except for having Jayden Maiava carry the ball with a 30-point lead. What the heck was that?
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football report card versus Fresno State - Trent Mosley A-plus