USC head coach Lincoln Riley believes the Trojans' returning running back tandem of Waymond Jordan and King Miller has the potential to be the best he has fielded.

Riley compared the current duo to the one he coached at Oklahoma with Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine, who were instrumental in the Sooners' 2015 College Football Playoff run when Riley served as offensive coordinator. "In terms of production, in terms of experience level in our offense," Riley said, "it’d be tough to argue that these two don’t have a chance to be our best. We’ll be disappointed if it’s not."

Jordan, who missed the latter half of the 2025 season with an ankle injury, was having a strong year, averaging 6.55 yards per carry and averaging 5.15 yards after contact. He had two games with over 150 rushing yards and scored five touchdowns before his injury.

With Jordan sidelined, Miller, a redshirt freshman walk-on, emerged. He earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors, finishing the season with 972 rushing yards and eight touchdowns at an average of 6.2 yards per carry. Miller has since added 15 pounds to his frame, improving his explosiveness and ability to break tackles, according to Riley.

"I think I’m gaining a lot more explosion when I’m getting out of my breaks or my cuts, so I think it’s good weight," Miller said. "I’m definitely able to get out of my breaks even better, I’m bouncing off tackles a lot easier, so it’s definitely good for me."

Miller's performance led to him being placed on scholarship, and Riley noted his increased confidence and presence within the team.

Riley also addressed the offensive line, which saw center Kilian O’Connor suffer a season-ending injury early in training camp. However, Tobias Raymond is expected to step in at center, with ample depth to absorb the loss.

During a recent scrimmage, Riley focused on evaluating the players, allowing them to execute schemes and respond to challenges. He noted that the team made good plays at the line of scrimmage but also had some errors against a strong defensive front. The running backs showed good effort, though they became impatient during a late two-point shootout drill.

Riley emphasized the importance of having multiple healthy running backs throughout the season due to the competitive nature of the league. "The ability to have different guys healthy at different points and as the season goes on, as competitive as this league is, you’re gonna need that," Riley said. "You know, teams that only have one back, you’re going to have to get very, very, very, very fortunate for somebody to make it through the entire year."