Three Big Ten Receivers That Will Challenge the USC Trojans Secondary
Three Big Ten Receivers That Will Challenge the USC Trojans Secondary
Looking to reach the College Football Playoff, the USC Trojans' secondary will face a challenge against these three star wide receivers in the Big Ten.Caden Handwork|
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USC TrojansThroughout Lincoln Riley’s tenure as coach of the USC Trojans, defense has been a major question mark. Inconsistency on defense has held the Trojans back from reaching the College Football Playoff, and USC fans are increasingly desperate to reach the postseason.
With the arrival of new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson, Trojan fans are hopeful that several defensive position groups on USC’s roster can take a major step forward. One of those position groups is the Trojans' secondary, which, after a 2025 season featuring highs and lows, returns several talented pieces.
Preparing to face a challenging Big Ten slate during the 2026 season, several opposing wide receivers will present a challenge for the Trojans' secondary. Here’s a look at a few of them ahead of the 2026 college football season.
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State Buckeyes
Arguably the best wide receiver in college football entering the 2026 season, Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith will look to put on a show when they face the Trojans in what is bound to be a Halloween classic at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
It’ll be the first time that the Buckeyes and Trojans will face off since USC joined the Big Ten. A win on Halloween over the Buckeyes would give Riley, depending on the result against Oregon earlier in the season, his most signature win at USC.
One of the keys to making that win a reality is by stopping Smith. In his sophomore season with the Buckeyes, Smith recorded 87 receptions for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns. Smith's best two games of the season last year came in the Buckeyes' two losses to the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten championship and the CFP Quarterfinal defeat at the Cotton Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes.
The recipe for success for the Trojans' secondary against Ohio State next season could also be just allowing Smith to record 100-plus yards and stopping their other talented group of wide receivers.
KJ Duff, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
While the Trojans' Big Ten opener on Sept. 19 on the road against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights should be a comfortable win for USC, there is a wide receiver on the opposing side who will provide an early-season test for Patterson’s secondary.
Rutgers’ KJ Duff is one of the top returning wide receivers in the Big Ten this season. In his second season with the Scarlet Knights last year, Duff ranked third in the Big Ten in receiving behind Jeremiah Smith and former USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, recording 60 receptions for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns.
How the Trojans perform against Duff could be a sign of things to come throughout the 2026 season for USC’s secondary.
Nick Marsh, Indiana Hoosiers
Last season, when he was a member of the Michigan State Spartans, the Trojans' defense held wide receiver Nick Marsh to two receptions for 28 yards. Now with the defending national champions, the Indiana Hoosiers and quarterback Josh Hoover, the Trojans look to lock up Marsh once again in one of their most important road games of the season.
Marsh arrives in Bloomington after two seasons with a struggling Michigan State football program. In those two seasons, Marsh recorded 100 receptions for 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns. With better coaching and quarterback play, Marsh’s impact will be felt with the Hoosiers, and he’ll aim for a better performance against the Trojans' secondary.
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Published 1 minute ago
CADEN HANDWORKCaden Handwork is a beat reporter for USC Trojans On SI. Caden graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Journalism. He has previous experience writing NBA, NFL, MLB, and College Football content for FanSided as a Contributor. He is also written as a contributor for the Detroit Lions FanSided site, the SideLion Report. At Michigan State, Caden covered several MSU athletic events for Impact 89 FM, Spartan Sports Report, and Spartans Illustrated. He has covered Michigan State Basketball in the Champions Classic in Chicago and has covered Spartan Hockey in the last two NCAA Tournaments.
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Twins top prospect Walker Jenkins carries young fan off field after collapse during national anthem
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Jack BaerStaff writerThu, July 2, 2026 at 12:37 AM UTC·1 min readMinnesota Twins minor leaguer Walker Jenkins stepped up before Tuesday's St. Paul Saints game in a way that had nothing to do with his top prospect status.
Jenkins, the No. 14 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, went viral on Wednesday via a video that showed him taking care of a young fan who collapsed while standing with the players during the national anthem.
AdvertisementAdvertisementJenkins noticed the fan wobbling and was soon carrying him off the field, eventually giving him to a staff member at the dugout.
The Saints, the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, confirmed Wednesday morning that the boy, named Lincoln, is doing well and has received some team merchandise.
After helping Lincoln, Jenkins proceeded to go 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three runs scored in a 12-6 win over the Buffalo Bisons. He was a home run shy of the cycle.
The Twins selected Jenkins fifth overall out of South Brunswick High School in North Carolina in the 2023 MLB Draft. He quickly developed into one of the best prospects in the minors, showcasing five-tool talent while playing well above his age at each level.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThis season, Jenkins, 21, is slashing .273/.394/.436 in 30 games with the Saints.
Philadelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
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6 Potential Landing SpotsBest Place To Sign?Record 24th SeasonLA LegacyWarriors Make SensePhiladelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
LeBron James and Joel Embiid shake hands after a February game between the Lakers and Sixers. Adam Pantozzi / Getty Images
By Tony JonesJuly 1, 2026 8:39 pm EDT UpdatedThe Philadelphia 76ers have expressed interest in acquiring free agent forward LeBron James, a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations told The Athletic.
On the heels of Wednesday night’s blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown — which sent Paul George and multiple draft picks to the Boston Celtics — the Sixers have thrown their hat into the proverbial ring for the star forward, who became an unrestricted free agent after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Philadelphia makes sense from a basketball perspective. The 76ers have enough scoring, depth and ballhandling at the top of the roster to allow James to ease into a role. And with James — or even without him — Philadelphia projects as a championship contender. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are also considered among the frontrunners for James’ services.
James, 41, remains an All-Star-caliber player and one of the league’s most impactful talents. The 76ers were eliminated in the second round of last season’s playoffs by the New York Knicks, who went on to win the NBA championship.
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Tagged To: NBAPhiladelphia 76ersPacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Pacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Indiana was heavily linked to Walker Kessler before the trade deadline, but acquiring Ivica Zubac instead may have been one of the franchise's smartest decisions.Alex Golden|
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Indiana PacersLos Angeles LakersUtah JazzLos Angeles ClippersOn Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a lucrative four-year, $130M deal with Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler. Los Angeles and Utah have agreed to complete a sign-and-trade that will send Kessler to the Lakers for two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, and two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
This is a massive haul that the Lakers are paying to solidify the now and future of their center position, going after the best five man on the open market. Indiana was once rumored to have interest in the Jazz's big man during the NBA Trade Deadline period, but Utah reportedly declined the Pacers offer. This was the exact same offer that Indiana ended up sending the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac.
While there are reasons to believe that trading for Kessler would have been the better move for Indiana, there is no denying that Indiana in retrospect made the right move in February. While Kessler is a solid young player with plenty of room to grow, he is making an average annual value of $32.5M. Indiana's big man, Ivica Zubac is making $20.3M this season, and $21.7M the folliwing season according to SpoTrac.com.
Being able to acquire a center that is just as good, or slightly even better for $11M less this season is a steal in itself, and it allowed the Pacers more financial flexibility to sign another free agent in the offseason.
If the Pacers had acquired Kessler at the trade deadline and agreed to the same exact deal the Lakers agreed to, Indiana would have been a first-apron team, and would not have been able to inked Kelly Oubre Jr. to the two-year, $17M contract they signed him to -- unless they elected to move off of Jarace Walker's $8.4M contract.
Nobody knew exactly how much Kessler would demand on the open market, and maybe the Lakers had to overpay to keep the Jazz from matching the offer, but for a Pacers team that is trying to win a championship next season, adding Zubac and Oubre Jr. for almost $4M less than what the Lakers will be paying Kessler in his first season was a no-brainer decision.
At the end of the day, the Pacers feel the best way to build a roster is with depth. By focusing in on acquiring a player at the Trade Deadline who fits perfectly into their budget, fills a hole on their roster, and has the skillset to elevate this team's ceiling, Indiana was not only able to address their starting center need, but their backup wing depth.
The Pacers front office of Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, and Ted Wu have done a terrific job of targeting the right players with the right skillset to ensure that this team is strong enough to compete in the improved Eastern Conference. There would have been other holes to fill had Indiana tied itself to an overpay for Walker Kessler, especially when it can get similar -- if not better-- production from Ivica Zubac for $11M less per season.
You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.
Published 22 minutes ago
ALEX GOLDENI was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and I am the host and creator of Setting The Pace: A Pacers Podcast. I have been covering the team since 2015, and talking about them on the podcast since 2018. I have been a credentialed media member since 2023.
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