From the Coliseum to the cosmos, USC Trojans find themselves in a massive spotlight. While Lincoln Riley’s team didn’t enter the playoffs in 2025, their former quarterback, Sam Darnold, pushed the Seahawks through a 29-13 playoff win over the Patriots. This marks a major feat for the Trojans to brag about!

After the triumph, the USC Trojans’ official X account posted a graphic, announcing they’re one of just 25 schools to claim both a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and an astronaut. That’s right! The legendary Apollo 11 astronaut, Neil Armstrong, is a USC graduate who earned his master’s degree and later became the first person to walk on the moon in 1969, a parallel that draws a rare crossover from athletics to scientific achievement for the school.

This marks a massive moment for both Trojans and Darnold, who played this season with an oblique injury, but his grit pushed the Seahawks to win. However, it wasn’t that simple, though. He led the NFL with 20 turnovers in the regular season but did not have a single one in three playoff games. He completed 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards in the Superbowl, and while the numbers might not look promising, in the end, it was the win that mattered most.

“I know we won the Super Bowl, but we could have been a little bit better on offense, but I don’t care about that right now,” Darnold said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling, man. I’m just so happy for the guys in the locker room and the coaches that put in so much effort throughout the whole season.”

What makes his win even more valuable for USC is that Darnold is the first starting QB from USC to win the Super Bowl and the first from the 2018 NFL Draft class to lift the Lombardi Trophy. So, it’s not just Darnold’s win but also a win for USC’s NFL legacy. Now, this win gives Lincoln Riley and his program a big and unique bragging point because who doesn’t want to talk about a QB and an astronaut from the same program?

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The win also provides a major boost on the recruiting trail, giving Lincoln Riley a recent Super Bowl-winning quarterback to showcase to prospects. Along with Darnold, there are other players who are representing them on a bigger stage, like linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and defensive tackle Brandon Pili.

On top of that, their championship berth and Darnold’s big feat set a solid example for USC players entering the 2026 NFL draft. Players like wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane, safeties Bishop Fitzgerald and Kamari Ramsey, linebacker Eric Gentry, and tight end Lake McRee are all moving forward to build the same pipeline. USC is now trying to replicate that success by turning to staff upgrades to raise the program’s ceiling ahead of the upcoming season.

USC head coach’s staff additions for future success

Lincoln Riley enters the offseason facing one of the most important hiring decisions after losing D’Anton Lynn to Penn State. After that, Riley added former TCU head coach Gary Patterson. Riley has faced his defenses seven times during his years at Oklahoma and openly admitted how difficult it is to go up against him.

To ensure more players are prepared for moments like Darnold’s, Riley’s decision in bringing defensive guru Gary Patterson, whose track record of building elite defenses could be the key to developing the next wave of Trojan talent.

Lincoln Riley also got back cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed and defensive ends coach Shaun Nua, and hired linebackers coach Mike Ekeler. Now, with all these additions and the No. 1 recruiting class in the 2026 class, Riley might finally break his championship berth drought this season.