A pair of statement performances from freshman wide receivers Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt in USC’s Week 0 romp over San Jose State put the duo firmly on the map. Still, a question loomed over how their roles would continue to evolve as the Trojans continue to gain further wideout reinforcement.
On Friday night, that backup came with the return of sophomore wideout Tanook Hines, who made his season debut after being kept on the sidelines against the Spartans with an injury. Hines, who hauled in 561 receiving yards behind both Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane in 2025, is slated to play a substantial role in the USC offense this year.
After snagging two touchdowns total across 13 games for USC in the 2025 campaign, Hines wasted no time getting himself involved against the Bulldogs. On the opening drive of the evening, he reeled in an eight-yard touchdown pass from redshirt senior quarterback Jayden Maiava to get USC on the board. But after making an immediate impact for his team, Hines’ performance was relatively quiet for the rest of the night, adding just one more catch to his ledger.
As for Dixon-Wyatt, he also provided a big-time moment earlier on in the opening series. With the Trojans taking an early gamble on fourth down and five, Maiava lobbed a deep ball toward the sideline. The freshman was able to make a leaping catch over his defender to move the chains for 31 yards.
Following the early fireworks from Hines and Dixon-Wyatt, Mosley stole the show at the Coliseum for a second consecutive week. His most prominent moment came at the 12:27 mark of the second quarter. Mosley found open space in the Fresno State secondary and took a deep pass 68 yards to the house, helping the Trojans extend their lead to 14-0.
The freshman’s night was still far from over. Just two drives later, Mosley once again found himself in the middle of the action for USC. After starting the series with a 22-yard grab, he proceeded to end it with his second touchdown, a nine-yard score that saw him break free from a Fresno State defender. He tiptoed past the right pylon for six more points. By halftime, the freshman – playing in his second-ever college game – had already amassed all 104 of his total receiving yards to help the Trojans develop a 30-0 advantage.
USC eventually went on to secure an emphatic 39-0 victory. Dixon-Wyatt, who finished with 6 receptions for 102 yards, combined with Mosley to account for about half of the Trojans’ 406 total passing yards. Mosley and Dixon-Wyatt made their statement in the process: they intend to remain key catalysts in the Trojan receiving room no matter how crowded it gets.
“We had some opportunities where we protected good and were able to [get the ball down the field],” said head coach Lincoln Riley. “Our drives were pretty complete most of the game. We made some explosive plays in the pass game, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Hines will only continue to get more involved, and the eventual debut of NC State transfer Terrell Anderson will further complicate the pass-catching dynamic for Maiava and the offense. Despite these factors, the freshmen have certainly earned a certain amount of respect from Lincoln Riley through their play.
Maiava spread the credit for his confidence around to his receivers along with the rest of the offense following the victory.
“I think it comes from the guys sitting next to me,” Maiava said. “The o-line, running backs, receivers… [they’re] all on the same page, playing at a really high level.”
Now, as a deep and versatile group of pass catchers only continues to grow stronger, Riley will face the difficult, yet fortunate dilemma of deciding who he trusts most to be on the field as the season progresses and the schedule grows more daunting.