On the latest episode of Trojans Conquest Live, Matt Zemek and I discussed Hayden Lowe, a highly regarded edge rusher in the 2025 class from Oaks Christian in Westlake Village, California. Lowe currently stands at an impressive 6’4″ and weighs 256 pounds. He possesses exceptional athleticism and has attracted attention from numerous out-of-state programs. USC’s ability to land him is a significant boost for the program.
With his impressive combination of athleticism, great burst and bend, Lowe is an ideal edge rusher who would be a valuable asset to coach Shaun Nua’s talented defensive end group. Joining Isaiah Gibson, the top-ranked edge rusher in the class according to 247Sports and On3, and Gus Cordova, a formidable 6-foot-3, 246-pound Texan with 49 offers (including 10 from the SEC and 11 from the Big Ten), Lowe becomes the third defensive end in the class.
Lowe is just the third California commit in this class which currently holds pledges from 16 other players across the country. He joins linebacker Matai Tagoa’i and cornerback Trestin Castro as the only Californians currently in the 2025 class.
Landing Lowe is a major coup for the program and gives the Trojans one of the best defensive end classes in the country.
We discussed Lowe at 1:20 in the video below at The Voice of College Football:
How can USC reach its goals, and what do we need to see from this team more than anything else in 2024?
On the Conquest Call-In Show, a weekly caller-driven YouTube show on Friday nights at 6 p.m. Pacific time, John from Detroit chimed in. He said that USC would need to go at least 9-3 in its first season in the Big Ten to be successful.
I explained to John that I don’t have a number. I just want to see measureable and drastic improvement on both sides of the line of scrimmage for USC. Lincoln Riley has put together an outstanding staff with new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn and defensive line coach Eric Henderson joining defensive ends coach Sean Nua. This new staff will try to fix the issue that plagued USC’s defensive line last year. On paper, Lynn was able to turn UCLA’s dismal 2022 defense into a top five defense in 2023. He completely changed the Bruins’ defense in just one offseason, so the Trojans’ hopes ride on him replicating that feat here at USC. His plan at UCLA was to install his defense methodically in the spring and fall, building the fundamentals of the defense early and slowly. This would ensure a deep understanding of the basics of the scheme, allowing him to add additional wrinkles as the season progresses.
The addition of Isaiah Raikes, 313 pounds of quick-twitch athleticism in the middle, and the defensive line room adding 340 pounds in the offseason gives the Trojans the ability to exert the physicality that new defensive line coach Eric Henderson is stressing in the offseason. The added size and attention to fundamentals from Henderson will be tested early in the season as USC faces LSU and Michigan in their first three games of 2024.
Offensively, Josh Henson remains the offensive line coach for the third year at USC. Clay Helton’s offensive line coach, Clay McGuire, had done a great job developing the line and leaving Henson a great foundation to work with, but there was no depth. The addition of Bobby Haskins in 2022 allowed USC’s veteran line to be a strength on the team in an 11-win campaign.
However, the Trojans were unable to overcome the loss of their three-year starting center, Brett Neilon, and All-America left guard Andrew Vorhees; the unit never gelled in 2023. The football team faced significant challenges due to injuries, which included multiple key players. Courtland Ford departed the team through the transfer portal, Ethan White, a transfer from Florida, was unable to join the team due to a medical retirement, and Gino Quinones suffered a season-ending injury early in the season. Relying on multiple transfers who didn’t pan out created a less-than-ideal situation. The line was plagued by miscommunication and protection breakdowns throughout the year.
In 2024, the big and physical 2023 offensive line class has had a year of collegiate weight training, nutrition, and coaching from Henson. Two of the members of that 2023 class, Alani Noa and Elijah Paige, got some starts last year, but this unit has developed together and is expected to play significant roles. Micah Banuelos, who is on his way back from injury; Amos Talalele; and Tobias Raymond all look to push for starting roles in 2024. The left side of the line with Paige at tackle and Emmanuel Pregnon at guard seems to be set. Lincoln Riley and Henson have selected Jonah Monheim to anchor the offensive line at center, but there are questions on the right side. The Trojans will absolutely need someone to step up and take those roles for USC to call 2024 a success.
