The tempo, energy and execution looked like a team that never left, something head coach Lincoln Riley said is intentional given the demands of the sport.
“A week off for a college football player is not like the rest of the world,” Riley said. “They’ve got to find a balance of finding a way of recharging but also coming back in shape.”
Redshirt senior quarterback Jayden Maiava used the break to rest, watch film and study NFL quarterbacks such as Matthew Stafford, Sam Darnold and Joe Burrow.
Maiava’s goal is to find different techniques from the various quarterbacks and be able to go out on gameday prepared for anything and just execute plays.
Collectively, as an offense, the unit has not been shy to set the tone of the season this spring.
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Romero Ison said he felt, “like the offense came back dominating. Everybody got right back on track. No one is slacking,”
As the team enters the final stretch of spring ball, Maiava said he wants the offense to maintain a “next play mentality,” describing it as the ability to “flush [the mistakes] out and just play ball.”
Riley echoed that message, saying the team needs to stay “steady and consistent” with summer approaching.
He jokingly used a metaphor to describe where the team needs to be as the spring season progresses.
“The training wheels are off, we got to go,” Riley said.
The coaching staff has been encouraged by the way players have continued to develop, especially with a mix of experienced returners and younger players pushing for roles.
Maiava didn’t hesitate to credit the offensive line.
“It starts up front,” Maiava said. “I can’t get the ball unless those five guys are on it and locked into their assignments which they have been all spring. I feel comfortable back there.”
That progress up front is no accident.
Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Elijah Vaikona credited offensive line coach Zach Hanson for elevating both the physical and mental side of the position.
Vaikona admires how Hanson teaches the o-line the “little things within playing O-line” such as reading a defense or looking at safeties and linebackers.
He added that beyond technique, Hanson emphasizes the mindset required to compete at a program like USC, something the group has embraced throughout the spring.
While the offense has built momentum, injuries have also created opportunities for younger players to step up.
Ison is using that opportunity to focus on his own development and perfect his game as much as possible before the fall season rolls around.
According to Riley, the injured players who underwent procedures, including senior running back Waymond Johnson, redshirt junior tight end Tucker Ashcraft and redshirt sophomore tight end Walter Matthews, are expected to return by summer.
In the meantime, Ison said his end goal hasn’t changed.
“The standard is the standard. It will never drop,” Ison said. “Got to push yourself every day… you got to be mentally, physically ready.”
He also credited former teammates for shaping his approach, especially in how he values each rep.
Ison named draft-bound wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane as vital support systems.
“They taught me that every rep you get, you got to take it like it’s your last,” Ison said.
Vaikona shared a similar perspective, pointing to offensive line veterans like redshirt sophomore Justin Tauanuu, redshirt juniors Tobias Raymond and Elijah Paige whom he learned from during his first year in the program.
He expressed how comfortable he felt asking them questions and being able to learn more about the college football experience through seeing them play.
Now, as the game begins to slow down for him, especially when reading defenses, Vaikona has stepped into a new role, making himself available to younger players who, like he once did, are trying to learn and adjust to the speed of college football.
That camaraderie, Vaikona said, reflects the identity of the team as a whole.
On the field, the energy is fueled not just by talent, but by trust and appreciation for one another.
“I think this team’s having fun,” Vaikona said. “We might be in a red and white jersey but that’s still my guy and we know when it’s on these lines we got to compete now.”
This sense of unity and drive is what continues to propel this Trojan team forward. Players like Vaikona have been setting the standard throughout the spring and will continue to set the tone for summer and as the official season approaches.