The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 127 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Lincoln Riley began his USC career 11- 1. But his record from Dec. 2, 2022 — the date of the decisive Pac-12 championship game loss to Utah — to the end of last season is 15-13. Riley had the Trojans one win away from a College Football Playoff berth in his first year after bolting from Oklahoma and signing a 10-year con- tract. Now, even with the field expanding to 12 teams, they're slipping further and further away from that postseason stage. In all fairness, entering the Big Ten was an adjustment, and even though the win total went from eight in 2023 to seven in 2024, the program made some progress (and they're on fire in the 2026 recruit- ing cycle). That progress came specifically on de- fense, with coordinator D'Anton Lynn implementing a scheme similar to Michi- gan's that produced better results. The Trojans improved from 121st to tied for 56th in scoring defense, allowing 24.1 points per contest and marking Riley's second-best finish in that statistical cat- egory since he became a head coach in 2017. The Trojans have beefed up the de- fensive line, adding massive Kentucky defensive tackle transfer Keeshawn Silver (6-4, 331), who produced 26 tackles and 10 pressures for the Wildcats in 2024. High-end recruit Jahkeem Stewart — a top-50 overall prospect in 2025 — will impact right away as a depth piece, too. The front seven could be stronger if defensive end Anthony Lucas and middle linebacker Eric Gentry can stay healthy. A former high four-star, Lucas recorded 14 pressures in six games and has more to show. Gentry, meanwhile, played in only five tilts due to injury last year, including the Las Vegas Bowl win over Texas A&M. He's racked up 195 tackles, including 19.5 for loss, 3 forced fumbles and 2 intercep- tions in his four-year college career. The secondary is more of a question mark, but redshirt junior Kamari Ramsey — who played for Lynn at UCLA in 2023 and USC last year — has earned a lot of trust. He's slated to wear the green dot (indicating he's the player receiving in- helmet communication from the coordi- nator) after earning All-Big Ten honor- able mention recognition in 2024. Ramsey registered 60 tackles, including 5.5 for loss and 2 sacks, 5 pass breakups, 2 forced fum- bles and 1 interception a year ago. Quarterback Miller Moss had an up- and-down season but may have been a scapegoat as the team struggled. He was replaced in the final four games of the year, and to redshirt junior Jayden Maia- va's credit, the Trojans finished 3-1 with the lone loss coming to Notre Dame. He completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns with 6 in- terceptions in seven outings, finding pay dirt 4 times on the ground, too. If Riley has the quarterback position right, which he typically does, the Trojans have the potential to field a dynamic of- fense. USC hit the transfer portal to add offensive linemen around FWAA fresh- man All-American Elijah Paige at left tackle and junior returning starter Alani Noa at right guard. Redshirt senior Lake McRee is back at tight end (24 catches, 245 yards), as are the team's top two receivers from a year ago — junior wideouts Makai Lemon (52 catches, 764 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Ja'Kobi Lane (43 receptions, 525 yards, 12 TD). Only Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith had more touchdown grabs (15) than Lane among Big Ten players last season, and nobody in that group saw a higher amount of their scores come in the red zone (8). USC lost fourth-round pick Woody Marks (Houston Texans) and Quinten Joyner (transfer to Texas Tech) at running back. The Trojans will turn to a host of backs including sophomore Bryan Jack- son, who averaged 5.2 yards per carry on 36 attempts as a reserve. ❑ Big-bodied wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane notched 17 targets in the red zone last season, record- ing 11 catches and 8 touchdowns. PHOTO COURTESY USC ATHLETICS 2025 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2024 Result Aug. 30 MISSOURI STATE — Sept. 6 GEORGIA SOUTHERN — Sept. 13 at Purdue — Sept. 20 MICHIGAN STATE — Sept. 27 at Illinois — Oct. 11 MICHIGAN L, 27-24 Oct. 18 at Notre Dame L, 49-35 Nov. 1 at Nebraska W, 28-20 Nov. 7 NORTHWESTERN — Nov. 15 IOWA — Nov. 22 at Oregon — Nov. 29 UCLA W, 19-13 REASONS FOR OPTIMISM • Defense is trending in the right direction • Wide receiver talent • Transfer portal additions on each line USC has a year of data in the Big Ten un- der its belt. The Trojans are attempting to become tougher and still have a lot of skill position talent. REASONS FOR CONCERN • Program pressure • Winning away from home • Is Jayden Maiava the guy at QB? USC went 1-4 in road games last season and will travel to Oregon, Notre Dame, Il- linois, Nebraska and Purdue this year. USC TROGANS • OCT. 11 • GAME 6 It's Time For Lincoln Riley To Get USC Back On Track QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: USC leads 6-5 First Meeting: U-M 49, USC 0 (Jan. 1, 1947, in Pasadena, Calif.) Last Meeting: U-M 27, USC 24 (Sept. 21, 2024, in Ann Arbor) Head Coach: Lincoln Riley, 26-14 at USC (fourth year), 81-24 overall (ninth year) 2024 In Review: 7-6, 4-5 Big Ten Final 2024 Ranking: Unranked Returning Starters: 5 (4 offense, 1 de- fense, 0 specialist) Last Bowl Appearance: 2024 (Las Vegas Bowl vs. Texas A&M, W 35-31) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Jayden Maiava (1,201 yards, 11 TD) Rushing: Bryan Jackson (188 yards, 1 TD) Receiving: Makai Lemon (764 yards, 3 TD) Tackles: Kamari Ramsey (60) Sacks: Braylan Shelby (3) Interceptions: Kamari Ramsey (1)