USC football has a lot of problems halfway through its season. We can't focus on all of them in one article, so we will try to shine a spotlight on one problem here and will deal with other concerns in separate stories. Our focus in this article: freshmen mistakes. Lincoln Riley has a culture which lacks accountability. A huge concern is that the highly-touted freshmen on this 2026 roster are being infected by the Riley climate in which mistakes don't get punished by the coaching staff.
Luke Wafle is obviously very talented, but he keeps committing bad penalties. His face-mask penalty against Washington was a crusher. Instead of stopping a drive, USC gave Washington new life and ultimately seven points. That can't happen.
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is
a gifted receiver. We can all see it. Why is he committing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty 90 seconds into the second half against Washington? He had a chance to absorb the coaching staff's message during a 20-minute halftime break, and then he immediately loses focus right out of the tunnel in the third quarter? That can't happen ... but it does. This is Lincoln Riley's USC, where bad habits aren't nipped in the bud and players are allowed to continue making horrible mistakes with impunity. Curt Cignetti and Nick Saban and Kirby Smart don't put up with this stuff. They instill discipline into players and are able to convey the message that there are consequences for not doing things the right way. Lincoln Riley, in Year 5, can't seem to do that.
It's one thing, however, for veterans who have been allowed to drift along in Riley's world to commit bad mistakes. It's far more alarming that these new freshmen are instantly picking up the Riley virus. This can't become the new normal for them. It's normal at Riley's USC, but these 2026 freshmen have to be able to follow a different path. The fate of this 2026 team could hinge on whether the freshmen can rise above the Riley virus at USC.
Contact/Follow @TrojansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of USC Trojans news, notes and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Touted 2026 freshmen are picking up Lincoln Riley's bad habits at USC
