Which Trojan players will step up as leaders in 2026?

In this edition of the Peristyle Podcast hosts Ryan Abraham, RJ Abeytia and India Otto are back in studio projecting which Trojan football players will step up and settle into leadership roles this coming season. The Trojans are in a win-now situation, with a playoffs or bust mindset in year five of the Lincoln Riley era, and will need a handful of players to take control of the locker room and lead their teammates out onto the battlefield every Saturday this fall.

Jayden Maiava is back for his third season as a USC quarterback and his second full run as the starter. Maiava isn't a stand on the table type of player, delivering powerful speeches at critical moments, but he has grown as a leader and earned the respect of his teammates on both sides of the ball.

The crew talks about what steps Maiava needs to take as a leader to help this team make the College Football Playoffs for the first time in program history. They also discuss some of the other players they expect to step up into leadership roles, from both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

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