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USC season preview: Oregon secondary will challenge Trojan receivers
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- USC season preview: Oregon secondary will challenge Trojan receivers
USC 's offense needs to excel against Oregon this season. A good performance might not be enough to win. The Trojans must pursue greatness. Ducks Wire wrote about Oregon's secondary, which will pose a strong challenge to an unproven group of USC receivers:
"One of the biggest surprises last season was how well Oregon's cornerbacks played, despite lacking game experience. Ify Obidegwu and Brandon Finney Jr. both commanded starting roles on the perimeter and locked down opposing offenses for much of the season. The Ducks had even more help in the nickel, with veteran Jadon Canady locking down the slot. Now, Canady is off to the NFL, but the Ducks have plenty of talent and more experience in the room to improve upon an already impressive season."
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The article continued:
"The Ducks allowed 158.1 passing yards per game during the regular season in 2025, which was second-best amongst teams in the College Football Playoff field. For the most part, Oregon held offenses in check and didn't allow many big plays, thanks to some tight man coverage from Finney and Obidegwu. There were times the inexperienced duo could get caught in between on match coverages, which was exposed in both games against Indiana. Coming into the 2026 season, Oregon returns plenty of talent and finds themselves in a much better situation. Finney and Obidegwu are established on the perimeter, and there are several players in the rotation capable of contributing. Na'eem Offord and Dorian Brew both appeared to take a step forward in the spring, and the Ducks also brought in a pair of transfers with experience and a talented freshman capable of winning a job out of camp.
"Finney had highs throughout last season, but he did stumble in coverage at times, particularly against Indiana and USC. There is plenty of confidence that he can establish himself as one of the best corners in the country this season, but the tests against premier wideouts like Jeremiah Smith will go a long way to show his development during the offseason."
Tanook Hines is the one USC receiver who inspires complete confidence in 2026. The Trojans will need other receivers to emerge and challenge the Oregon secondary. The hope for USC is that its offensive line will dominate Oregon's defensive line and give Jayden Maiava all the time in the world to pick which open receiver he can throw to.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC season preview: Oregon secondary will challenge Trojan receivers
