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USC football has a star in defensive tackle Jide Abasiri
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- USC football has a star in defensive tackle Jide Abasiri
The USC Trojans kicked off the 2026 season missing some pivotal defensive players. Veteran defensive end Braylon Shelby and rising star defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart were both not ready to go for the first game of the season. That raised big question marks about who will be the key guy on this Trojan defense in Game 1. Defensive tackle Jide Abasiri answered the bell.
In a recent article , I broke down how Jide Abasiri was one of the biggest studs for the Trojans against San Jose State on Saturday. Here is what I had to say about Abasiri:
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"Abasiri was named a captain for this season, and he has had extreme excitement around his name this season. He lived up to that in Game 1, making some big-time plays. Abasiri lived in San Jose State's backfield in this game, completely wreaking havoc. Abasiri had 4 total tackles, 2 solo, and 2 tackles for a loss in the first game of the season. The tackles for loss he made held a lot of weight. His first tackle for a loss shut the door on a scoring opportunity for the Spartans early in the game on 4th down in the red zone. Abasiri is a tone setter, and if he can continue to make plays like that, the Trojans will have a good shot versus their Big Ten counterparts."
The Trojans' defense needs that game-changer to set the tone and make it known what type of team the opposing team will be lining up against. Jide Abasiiri took away any momentum the Spartans were building early in the game with a big tackle for loss on 4th down. Abasiri made the coaches look right for selecting him as a captain this season. He is the best player on the defense, and he showed every bit of what type of player Gary Patterson will be getting this year. The Trojans' defensive success will fall right on Abasiri. So far, he is giving great indication that he is ready to lead this Trojans defense to a great year.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football has a star in defensive tackle Jide Abasiri
