In two weeks, the best players on this USC Trojans team have revealed themselves, and they have been consistently elite. The Trojans' offense is humming and trending in the right direction behind Heisman hopeful Jayden Maiava. On the other side of the ball, Jide Abasiri has led a very impressive defense to a great start.
Here is my breakdown for the USC Trojans whose stock is going up and whose stock is going down after Week 1:
Stock up:
Jayden Maiava, quarterback
Jayden Maiava looks the part of a top quarterback in college football. It is no longer a hot take that this guy is going to be up for the Heisman this season. He has improved his game tremendously. He is playing confidently. Lincoln Riley has full trust in him. Jayden Maiava looked as good as he has ever looked against
Fresno State, a formidable defense. He will be ready to battle against the best of the best in the Big Ten.
Trent Mosley, wide receiver
Mosley has been so impressive in the first 2 weeks. He is quickly becoming one of the most exciting players in college football. Jayden Maiava knows who his best playmaker is, and so does Lincoln Riley. To beat the top teams in the Big Ten, the key could very well be getting Mosley the ball a lot. Mosley is building a great amount of confidence to start the year.
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, wide receiver
Wyatt had his I-have-arrived game last week. Not only did he have a spectacular catch, but he also exploded for 100 yards for the first time in his collegiate career. He will be a fantastic receiver in college football for the next few years. A big takeaway from his performance is that he now has Jayden Maiava's trust. He looked just like the elite receivers Maiava was throwing to last season.
Jide Abasiri, defensive tackle
Abasi has not only become the Trojans' best player on defense, but it is hard to say that too many interior guys have been playing better than him to start the season. He is a game-changer, and both of the Trojans' opponents have felt his presence early and often. He has been one of the most exciting stories to follow for USC to start the season.
Jadyn Ramos, defensive end
Jadyn Ramos has now put together 2 straight impactful showings. He has been outproducing the starting defensive end. It is hard not to put a guy on the field who consistently makes plays and gets pressure. Against the Bulldogs, he had 1 sack and 3 tackles. He might be pushing to take Kam Crawford's job.
Deven Bryant, linebacker
Deven Bryant has been flying all around the field to start this season. With Jide Abasiri's dominance up front, that has opened the door for Bryant to just play cleanup. The transfer had 4 tackles against the Bulldogs, and he was exactly what this defense needed at linebacker. He has been playing with both speed and urgency. The Trojans' defense was so stout against the run in part due to Bryant's play. So far, the early return has been great for him.
Kennedy Urlacher, safety
Kennedy Urlacher showed flashes last season, and this past week all of that came to fruition. Urlacher looked like a game-changer. Urlacher finished the game with 3 total tackles and 2 sacks. He was unstoppable in blitz situations and really brought the physicality Gary Patterson has been wanting to implement. Gary Patterson may have just unlocked a star on the defense against the Bulldogs.
Stock down:
King Miller and Waymond Jordan, running back
The run game was on the back burner for the Trojans offense, while the passing attack was the headline. Waymond Jordan and King Miller have both yet to have that dominant game. Neither back has eclipsed 100 yards on the ground, something that was easy for them last season. The run game seems to be trending toward being more of a complement instead of being a priority. Both backs had high expectations coming into this season, and those expectations have yet to be matched. Hopefully, a breakout game is in the works for one of these star running backs.
Ethan Feaster, wide receiver
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Trent Mosley have both separated themselves from the pack, while Ethan Featser is still trying to find his rhythm. Feaster only managed to have 1 catch for 4 yards against Fresno State. That marks now 2 disappointing showings for the highly touted freshman. These first few games are the games in which the young guys like Feaster will get the most opportunity to shine; so far, that has not been the case for Featser.
Kam Crawford, defensive end
It was another quiet showing for Kam Crawford. There have been many other guys who have outshone Crawford, who is the starting defensive end. Kam Crawford finished the game with 3 total tackles, but a guy like Jadyn Ramos had a sack and just as much tackle production. Crawford is a player who needs to step it up this next week.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football stock up and stock down report after Week 1
