The USC Trojans have completed two weeks of spring practice, so which freshmen on offense have stood out early?
Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Trent Mosley had the entire state of California buzzing during Santa Margarita’s state championship run. To claim the CIF Southern Section Division 1 and Open Division Championship, Mosley caught 21 passes for 482 receiving yards and accounted for seven touchdowns in those two games. He rewrote the hierarchy of high school football in California for the 2025 season and has carried that momentum into spring practice. Sources around USC immediately started raving about Mosley during his first week of practice. The four-star recruit provides a skill set that is very similar to Makai Lemon and is a strong candidate to fill the void left by the Trojans Biletnikoff Award in the slot as a true freshman. The Southern California native is dynamic with the ball in hands and just glides down the field. He could also be a factor in the return game.Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes recruits Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Chris Henry Jr. walk onto the field prior to the NCAA football game against the Akron Zips at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 52-6. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Mosley isn’t the only former Trinity League star receiver that has made noise during the first couple of weeks of spring practice. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is making his own case to be an immediate impact player from day one. The Mater Dei product was a massive addition to the Trojans No. 1 recruiting class when he flipped from Ohio State on signing day in December and has quickly shown why USC never stopped pursuing him. Dixon-Wyatt is a college ready player. He’s explosive target with strong hands and size at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds. Even if he doesn't start in the fall, expect Dixon-Wyatt to have a major role in the receiver rotation.Dixon-Wyatt’s high school teammate, five-star tight end Mark Bowman, is another player that arrived on campus college ready. At first glance, it’s hard to imagine he’s an early enrollee, especially in the lower body.Bowman arrived at USC as a player that was expected to be day one starter in the fall and has given no indication why that still shouldn't be the case. He is wide receiver in a tight end body. He’s a smooth route runner for his size with natural hands. His versatility allows coach Lincoln Riley to be creative with the Mater Dei product. Keenyi Pepe, OL, 6'7, 330 pounds, for the white team, Class of 2026, during IMG's Academy Pro Day held at IMG's football field in Bradenton, FL on Thursday, Feb, 27, 2025. | Thomas Bender/ Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images USC returns all five starting offensive lineman from a year ago but that doesn’t mean that will be their lineup in 2026. Five-star Keenyi Pepe is going to make things very interesting at the right tackle position. Justin Tauanuu started all 13 games at right tackle and it’s worth noting he played very well, especially as a run blocker. He was a big part of running back Waymond Jordan’s early season success and King Miller’s emergence the second half of the year. However, Tauanuu is out this spring as he recovers from an offseason procedure. That has opened the door for Pepe, the Trojans ranked recruit according to 247Sports, to get some valuable reps and close some ground. The 6-foot-7, 330-pound freshman was a four-time MaxPreps All-American playing at IMG Academy . “Pepe’s an interesting combination of size and power that a lot of times it takes years of a college offseason program to develop but he’s an athletic guy too," Riley said. "He’s not heavy footed. He’s smart, he’s been in here a lot. He’s worked hard to study it, he’s getting more and more confident each day and as he gets more confident, we’re going to see those physical gifts that he has translate more to the competitive situations. “Each day you can tell it’s a little better. He’s got a bright future and he’s one of those guys with his ability as soon as the light comes on, he’ll be tough to keep off the field.”Kendell Hollowell, a Southern California native has been been covering collegiate athletics since 2020 via radio and digital journalism. His experience includes covering programs such as the USC Trojans, Vanderbilt Commodores and Alabama Crimson Tide. Kendell He also works in TV production for the NFL Network. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kendell was a collegiate athlete on the University of Wyoming and Adams State football team. He is committed to bringing in-depth insight and analysis for USC athletics.
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