96 DAYS TILL USC FOOTBALL: BREAKING DOWN THE RUNNING BACK ROOM

USC running back King Miller breaks away from the Michigan secondary in the Trojans’ 31-13 win

The countdown to kickoff has begun! We are 96 days from the Trojans running out of the tunnel to take the field. Today, the spotlight falls on the running backs. We’ll take a look at how USC’s running back room shapes up heading into fall camp, along with some thoughts, projections, and what to expect entering the season. USC enters the season with one of the best running back rooms in the Big Ten. The room possesses a strong blend of youth and veteran talent. It would not be a surprise to see the Trojans feature a three-deep running back rotation in 2026. As college football fans and especially as fans of a team recently added to the Big Ten, we all know a strong running game can be the difference between going 8-4 and 12-0 in this conference. USC will look to lean heavily on the run game this season.

Returning Production

Let’s start by looking at the returning production in the room. The Trojans return Sr. Waymond Jordan, RS-So. King Miller and RS-Fr Riley Wormley.

Jordan transferred in from Hutchinson Community College, with high expectations after winning Junior College Offensive Player of the Year honors. He lived up to those expectations early on. The talented back won the starting job in fall camp and was one of the best running backs in college football through the first month of the season. Jordan’s season was cut short after an injury suffered in USC’s win over Michigan. Jordan will be one of the lead backs in the Trojans offense for 2026.

Jordan’s 2025 Statistics

• CAR: 88

• YDS: 576

• TDs: 5

• GP: 5

The Trojans also return one of the best young backs in the Big Ten in RS-So King Miller. The fanbase first heard rumbilings that then walk-on running back King Miller being a surprise in spring and fall camp. Miller burst onto the scene with two runs of 40+ yards in USC’s first two games

Miller made his national debut when he stepped in for Waymond Jordan after Jordan went down with an injury against Michigan. Miller rushed for 158 yards and 1 touchdown in relief. He continued to build momentum throughout the second half of the season, emerging as one of USC's biggest surprises in the backfield. The former walk-on took advantage of increased opportunities and turned them into production. Miller will now look to build on that success and take another step forward in 2026.

Miller’s 2025 Statistics

• CAR: 156

• YDS: 972

• TDs: 8

• GP: 12

The third returning back is RS-Fr Riley Wormley. The former three-star recruit arrived at USC with a knee injury that sidelined him for most of the offseason. Wormley appeared in three games in 2025. The RS-Fr will look to compete for playing time in 2026.

Wormley’s 2025 Statistics

• CAR: 5

• YDS: 18

• TDs: 0

• GP: 3

New Additions

For the first time in the Lincoln Riley era, USC did not add a running back through the transfer portal. Instead, the new additions come entirely from the high school ranks.

The Trojans took two blue-chip running backs in the 2026 class, and neither will make things easy on the returning backs by allowing them to become comfortable in their roles. Let’s take a look at the newcomers.

We’ll start with the local athlete. Four-star freshman Deshonne Redeaux early enrolled and immediately turned heads during spring ball. The local standout participated in both the Navy All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl while holding 34 offers. According to 247 Sports, Redeaux finished a 10-game senior season with 1,447 yards and 15 TDs on 9.3 yards per carry. While also adding 12 receptions for 160 yards and 1 TD on 13.3 yards per catch. Across his four-year varsity career, Redeaux totaled 3,649 yards in 37 games, averaging 98.6 rushing yards per game and 8.1 yards per carry. A strong fall camp from the freshman, and Redeaux will find himself getting some touches.

The other half of the blue-chip freshman running back duo is coming in from the Buckeye state. Highly touted four-star freshman Shahn Alston is also generating buzz. Like Redaeux, Alston impressed this past spring ball. He participated in the Navy All-American Bowl and earned first-team all-state honors. According to 247 Sports, Alston finished his 10-game senior season with 1,548 yards and 29 TDs on 9.0 yards per carry. Recorded a quartet of 200-yard rushing performances. Caught 40 passes for 489 yards and 5 TDs (12.2 per catch) and completed a 24-yard TD pass. Alston enters a similar situation as Redeaux. A strong fall camp could open the door for a significant role this season.

Pre-Fall Camp Depth Chart

The Trojans have multiple capable backs who can earn meaningful snaps in 2026. Expect USC to rely on much of the room this season. However, there’s only one football, so only so many can get first-team reps.

1st String: Waymond Jordan OR King Miller

• Jordan and Miller will likely lead the offense and split carries this fall. The running game will go as far as those two take it.

2nd String: Riley Wormley OR Deshonne Redeaux OR Shahn Alston

• It is still too early to determine which of these three will earn touches behind Jordan and Miller. Fall camp will reveal a lot about this room and who begins separating themselves from the pack. My early prediction is that Shahn Alston wins the job. He’s one of the biggest backs on the roster, and USC will need that size and physical presence in the run game this season. The evaluation process won’t stop there. The Trojans open the season with 3 weaker out-of-conference opponents, giving Lincoln Riley and his staff three full games to evaluate who will ultimately claim the third running back spot.

Expect USC to rely on multiple backs throughout the year, especially with the physicality of Big Ten play. The room has enough talent to be ultra productive, and potentially one of, if not the best, in the conference.