USC season preview: If Oregon has defensive weakness, it's linebacker
· Yahoo Sports
USC football might beat Oregon 24-21 or 27-24 this year, but if we are being realistic, the Trojans probably need to score at least 40 points to win. Oregon scored 36 in a 2023 victory over the Trojans. The Ducks flew over USC last year, posting 42 points. USC's offense will need to max out. If it happens, it will be due to the Trojans outflanking the Ducks' untested linebackers. Ducks Wire wrote about this untested unit for Dan Lanning:
"The linebacker unit was led by (Bryce) Boettcher a season ago, as he racked up a team-high 136 tackles. He was all over the place, largely overshadowing any other linebacker that took the field. But after being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, the onus is on other players to step up and fill the shoes that Boettcher leaves behind. There's one prominent candidate in Jerry Mixon, who had a mini-breakout in 2025 alongside Boettcher. He finally seemed to adjust to the speed of the college game, making several big plays, albeit while disappearing for stretches of other games. Across the whole group, consistency will have to improve if this unit is to be successful this fall.
Visit turconews.click for more information.
"Mixon ... was the primary linebacker next to Boettcher in 2025. He was fifth on the team in tackles with 57 while nabbing two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Devon Jackson appears to be the leader in the clubhouse to fill Mixon's role from a season ago, though he's plateaued the last two seasons with 41 and 47 tackles in a reserve role. Brayden Platt, Gavin Nix and Dylan Williams are all blue-chip talents who have been around the program and had promising stretches, but are unaccomplished as a whole."
Oregon has a good defense, but if there is a weak link, it's the linebacker room. USC and Lincoln Riley have to pounce on this opportunity and find a line of attack which can expose the Ducks' Achilles heel.
Contact/Follow @TrojansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of USC Trojans news, notes and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC season preview: If Oregon has defensive weakness, it's linebacker