“Everybody is having to figure out where they put the value on certain spots, on certain people.” Lincoln Riley’s December mic drop still rings true. Especially now that USC’s spring buzz is buzzing for all the right reasons. Because that $240,000 gamble he took? It’s looking like the smartest play in his rebuild playbook. The Trojans are flipping the narrative after a frustrating 7-6 finish last year, and if things keep trending this way, Riley might just steer USC back into serious Playoff contention.

So who’s the $240k-worth wildcard making all this noise? That would be 6’4″, 195-pound sophomore receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, who’s emerging as the most electrifying piece on USC’s offense this spring. And he’s not just showing up—he’s showing out. Lane went viral over the weekend for a ridiculous one-handed snag over redshirt senior cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson during one-on-ones. The coverage? Solid. The catch? Straight out of a video game.

Even On3’s JD PicKell had to stop and show love. “But look at the grab—dude, just so ridiculous,” PicKell said, before zeroing in on something bigger. He pointed out the natural chemistry Lane already has with quarterback Jayden Maiava. “Jayden Maiava and him? Some good chemistry. Ja’Kobi Lane caught 12 touchdowns a year ago. Jaden Maiava threw him seven of those. What does it mean? I don’t know. But that would’ve been 13 right there.” That connection could be the turning point for this USC offense.

J.D. PicKell didn’t just stop at hype—he laid out a pretty compelling case that Lane might be the next name to join USC’s WR royalty. “I think, a little bit of a thing where you talk about USC in the context of when have they been at their best historically. It doesn’t mean everything, but to me, it’s like USC just kind of has a type. I mean, USC has a type. And the type for USC is good quarterback play and a go-to elite wide receiver.” Then came the kicker.

“You think about the great USC teams—Dwayne Jarrett for Pete Carroll, Mike Troy Williams. I think Ja’Kobi Lane goes along with that.” That’s not light praise. And while Lane is still technically a sophomore, he’s already putting together a portfolio of moments that scream future star. Last season, he racked up 43 catches for 525 yards and 12 touchdowns, with clutch performances in USC’s biggest wins. Against Texas A&M in a nail-biting 35-31 bowl game, Lane exploded for 127 yards and 3 TDs. Followed that up by torching Wisconsin with 10 catches, 105 yards, and 2 more scores. Not bad for a kid who barely saw the field the first two months of his freshman campaign.

In 2023, Lane sat behind a loaded WR room—Duce Robinson and Zachariah Branch were the headliners, and Makai Lemon played both ways in nine games. But now? It’s Lane and Lemon fighting for the WR1 keys, and Lincoln Riley isn’t handing the former the crown just yet. “He’s getting to the point where he not only needs to mature individually, but this team needs him to in terms of the leader and presence that he is because he does have an infectious energy, a competitive energy that affects our football team.” Even as Riley works to keep him grounded, national voices like PicKell are sounding the alarms for the rest of the country.

“If Ja’Kobi Lane played other school… in the SEC, I think we might have a little more buzz around him.” Now, with Branch off to Georgia and Duce Robinson flipping to Florida State, Lane’s path is wide open. Add to that the exits of Kyron Hudson (now at Penn State) and Kyle Ford (eligibility done), and suddenly Lane isn’t just a weapon—he’s the weapon. “He might be the equalizer. He might be the game-changer for them.” USC offense looking like it’s got answers… or does it?

QB pressure mounts as Jayden Maiava feels the heat

While Ja’Kobi Lane is having his moment, his quarterback, Jayden Maiava, isn’t exactly basking in the same glow. The redshirt junior is expected to start, sure—but there’s a five-star freshman breathing down his neck.

Enter Husan Longstreet.

The early enrollee and former high school standout is already making serious waves this spring. In his final prep season, Longstreet dropped 1,641 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, 494 rushing yards, and six rushing scores in just nine games. Oh, and he averaged 9.0 yards per carry. That’s wild. What’s more impressive than his stats, though, is how ready he looks for the college stage. Lincoln Riley didn’t hold back when praising his maturity:

“Husan is further ahead than most freshmen at his time.” He’s not just showing up for mandatory sessions—he’s going above and beyond. “He came to a lot [of] meetings, came to a lot of practices on his own time, on his own dime,” Riley said. That extra work? It’s paying off. And Riley’s already talking leadership. “His ability to communicate and manage the group right now as a young guy is pretty impressive.”

So while Maiava might hold the edge for now—thanks to a solid finish last season with 1,201 passing yards, 11 TDs, and 6 picks—Longstreet isn’t going to sit back quietly. Whether he forces a midseason shift or grabs rotational reps, it’s clear: USC’s QB room is under pressure, and Maiava’s spot isn’t as safe as it seems.