The USC Trojans are close to wrapping up their spring camp and then will set their sights on summer workouts before the real football begins in the fall.
There has been plenty of excitement this spring, and a lot of that can be attributed to a huge momentum swing in recruiting.
But what about the current team that will be tasked with taking the field this season?
After practice this week, Lincoln Riley was asked about redshirt freshman Linebacker Jadyn Walker, and his response should have USC fans excited.
Lincoln Riley Raves About USC Trojans Linebacker Jadyn Walker
Jadyn Walker is coming off his freshman season, where he did not see any real action until the bowl game against Texas A&M. The real benefit for Walker came in those bowl practices, where he was able to get valuable reps.
When asked if Walker could carve out a role with the USC Trojans this season, Riley said:
“100%. Jadyn has been awesome. I think one of the real bright spots of spring. Not totally surprising, but you know, he missed most of last year coming off the shoulder injury before he came in… Started to ramp him up at practice at the end of the year in bowl practices last year, and we were pretty impressed by how he just jumped in and was ready to go. His body has dramatically changed, and he’s just come out here more confident. No question. He’s going to help this football team a lot, and he’s going to be a really bright spot when you look at it in the future, as well. He’s had a fantastic spring, and he’s going to play a big role.”
Pretty glowing remarks from Riley.
Walker was a 3-star recruit in the 2024 class and one of the last commitments for the USC Trojans, coming in the February signing period of last year.
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Standing at 6’3, 205 pounds, Walker is a perfect body type to play linebacker in this D’Anton Lynn defense. The LB room is very talented, but it is one of the thinnest ones. There is a lot of chatter that they will add one in the spring transfer portal, but Walker is certainly making his case that they do not need to.
As it stands, the USC Trojans LB room is as follows:
- Anthony Beavers Jr.
- Desman Stephens II
- Eric Gentry
- Jadyn Walker
- Garrison Madden
- Ryan Quintanar
- Roman Marchetti
Incoming freshmen Matai Tagoa’i and AJ Tuitele will join the team in June.