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Tidbits from Day 4 of USC spring ball

Erik-McKinneyby:Erik McKinney•04/01/25•

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USC defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart during a spring practice with the Trojans
USC defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart during a spring practice with the Trojans (Erik McKinney/WeAreSC)

The USC Trojans are through Day 4 of 2025 spring ball and WeAreSC has some tidbits from viewing the open portion of practice and hearing from head coach Lincoln Riley and players.

* It’s tough to overstate how important the commitment of defensive tackle TomTom Topui was for USC today. He will mean a ton to the Trojans’ recruiting efforts moving forward.

USC defensive line coach Eric Henderson was in a great mood heading out to the practice field:

Head coach Lincoln Riley can’t speak about specific recruits, but was asked about the momentum this year and why it feels different from last year. He said USC has “a lot of momentum in every area” but that the 2026 group of local recruits sees the vision of playing at home and playing at USC.

“They see that and they see it collectively,” Riley said. “It’s a pretty cool thing to watch unfold.”

* More buzz about the USC defensive line that the Trojans have assembled through roster retention, big-time recruiting wins and transfer portal acquisitions.

“More good players, more depth, more competition, there’s more size,” Riley said of the Trojans up front. Riley has now spoken out a couple of times about the young players on the defensive line — freshmen Floyd Boucard, Jahkeem Stewart and Cash Jacobsen and them being physically ready to contribute this season.

* USC coaches have said for months that they are going to use Jahkeem Stewart all over the defensive line during his career. He’s listed on the roster as a defensive end but Riley said he’s worked at both defensive tackle and defensive end in his first few practices.

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Garry Paskwietz (1966-2019)

Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

Garry Paskwietz