2023 USC Trojans football team

The 2023 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) as a member of the Pac-12 Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In their second year under head coach Lincoln Riley, the Trojans were preseason picks to win the Pac-12 championship, but compiled a 7–5 record (5–4 against conference opponents) during the regular season. The team began the season by winning six consecutive games but lost five of their final six games, including losses to rivals Notre Dame and UCLA. The unranked Trojans defeated No. 16 Louisville in the 2023 Holiday Bowl.

The season was USC's last season as a member of the Pac-12 Conference before joining the Big Ten Conference on July 1, 2024.

The Trojans played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.

Preseason
USC's spring football game was held on April 15, 2023 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The defense (white team) defeated the offense (red team) by a 42-34 score.

The Pac-12 Media Day was held on July 21, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Head coach Lincoln Riley, quarterback Caleb Williams, and linebacker Mason Cobb represented USC at the event. USC was picked to finish first in the conference, receiving 25 out of a possible 36 first-place votes.

Depth chart
True Freshman Double Position : * official Depth Chart Week 0 vs San José State (08/26/2023)

Scholarship distribution chart

 * Projected Scholarship Distribution 2023 chart

^ : the players who still have to make an official choice and the players who are eligible for the Covid year.

/ redshirt year eligible / * Former Walk-on /

– 84 players on scholarship (+ 1 LDS Mission) / 85 scholarships permitted

Transfers out
The Trojans have lost 23 players via transfer.

Transfers in
The Trojans have added 16 players via transfer. According to 247 Sports, USC had the No. 2 ranked transfer class in the country.

Returning starters
Offense

Defense

Special teams

Recruiting class
USC signed 22 players in the 2023 recruiting cycle. Eight USC signees were ranked in the ESPN 300 top prospect list. The Trojans finished ranked eighth by 247Sports. In addition to bringing in a Top 5 transfer portal class. USC added 5 walk-ons during the national signing period.

*= 247Sports Composite rating; ratings are out of 1.00. (five stars= 1.00–.98, four stars= .97–.90, three stars= .80–.89, two stars= .79–.70, no stars= <70) †= Despite being rated as a four and five star recruit by ESPN, On3.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com, Malachi Nelson and Zachariah Branch received a five star 247Sports Composite rating. Δ= Left the USC program following signing but prior to the 2023 season.

2023 overall class rankings

Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released

Preseason All-Pac-12 teams and All-American honors
First team

Second team

All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention

Source:

Defense
Key: POS: Position, SOLO: Solo Tackles, AST: Assisted Tackles, TOT: Total Tackles, TFL: Tackles-for-loss, SACK: Quarterback Sacks, INT: Interceptions, BU: Passes Broken Up, PD: Passes Defended, QBH: Quarterback Hits, FR: Fumbles Recovered, FF: Forced Fumbles, BLK: Kicks or Punts Blocked, SAF: Safeties, TD : Touchdown

USC vs. all opponents
<!-- ==After the season==

NFL draft
The NFL draft will be held at Campus Martius Park in Detroit, MI. Trojans who were picked in the 2024 NFL Draft: