Quarterbacks rotated with confidence, receivers snapped in and out of their breaks with more precision than the opening week and teammates exchanged praise after nearly every rep.
For redshirt senior quarterback Jayden Maiava, that progress starts with something simple.
Maiava said the focus right now is on building the team the right way, starting with “chemistry and accountability” and making sure players can trust the teammate next to him.
The roster is layered with new transfers, established veterans and a freshman class that arrived with high expectations. Maiava believes that blend is becoming a strength.
He described the group as “a great group of guys out there,” and called it “a good combination of new and old.”
The offense, he said, is trending the right way.
“I’m happy in the direction we’re going offensively,” Maiava said.
Maiava referenced USC’s history of running the ball while emphasizing steady daily growth. For him, improvement is not measured in leaps, but in small increments.
“It’s about getting one percent better every single day,” he said.
Redshirt senior quarterback Sam Huard sees the same urgency, but from a slightly different vantage point. In Huard’s second season at USC, he looks more settled during team drills, quicker to react and more vocal between reps.
For him, comfort has changed everything.
“Being comfortable in the system,” Huard said, has allowed him to guide younger players. “Now it’s having familiarity. I can go out there and react.”
Huard smiled when referencing the freshman class’ reputation.
“Freshman class, not sure if you’ve heard, they’re pretty good,” he said.
The talent is evident, but Huard focused more on how seamlessly they have meshed with returners. He pointed to freshman receivers Luc Weaver, Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt as “competitive,” praising their ability to make plays and run sharp routes.
“They’re some dogs,” Huard said.
Beyond individual names, he emphasized depth and what he called a “humble confidence” within the new class. The belief is there, but so is the willingness to learn.
“The future is bright for our class and at the same time it meshes well with the team we have right now,” Huard said.
That meshing is something sophomore wide receiver Corey Simms understands from experience. A year ago, he was still trying to keep up. Now, the game feels slower.
“Experience,” Simms said when asked about the biggest difference entering spring as a returner.
Instead of thinking through every detail, he can focus on execution. That shift has also changed how he leads.
Simms credited draft-bound USC wide receivers Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon for helping him learn his role by example.
“Lead by example,” Simms said, referencing the advice he received from Lane and Lemon. “Just doing what you do. Work every day.”
He has noticed younger players adopting that same mindset, arriving early to practice and seeking extra work. He gave a shoutout to redshirt sophomore safety Isaiah Rubin and credited receivers coach Dennis Simmons and coach Trumain Carroll, for investing in players both on and off the field.
When Simms talks about leadership in the room, he repeats one name.
“He’s a vet. He’s a vet,” Simms said of junior wide receiver Terrell Anderson. “He leads with pride.”
Anderson, a transfer from North Carolina State, joked about adjusting to Southern California traffic but appears comfortable within the program. Though he previously played high school football with redshirt junior defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett, he arrived at USC determined to establish himself in a new environment.
At tight end, redshirt freshman Taniela Tupou believes the foundation being built extends beyond the field. He said practicing in the Coliseum this past weekend and continuing now at practice has “felt great” and helped set the tone for spring, but culture matters just as much as execution.
“I want the guys to be close, not just at practice but outside of football too,” Tupou said.
Beach trips and barbecues have become part of that effort. Each week, Tupou takes two or three teammates around Los Angeles, helping freshmen and transfers adjust to life in a new city. The bonding, he believes, will show up on Saturdays in the fall.
Five practices into spring ball, USC is still experimenting with combinations and refining assignments. Depth charts are fluid. Reps are competitive. But the theme remains consistent.
Chemistry. Accountability. Maturity.
Or, as Maiava put it, a team learning to look at the man next to them and build from there.