Within days of losing to TCU in the Alamo Bowl, USC has already been gashed by the college football transfer portal. Lincoln Riley suffered yet another loss, with former four-star offensive line recruit Alex Payne leaving Los Angeles.
Payne, one of the top offensive tackles in the class of 2025, entered the portal on Saturday, 247 Sports' Chris Hummer reported. The true freshman only appeared in one game in 2025, per Hummer, giving him up to four years of eligibility left in the tank.
Payne failed to crack USC's offensive line rotation, despite the Trojans beginning the year in need of a new starting right tackle. Payne was a candidate to potentially fill the void, but it was instead redshirt freshman Justin Tauanuu who impressed with a breakout season opposite of star left tackle Elijah Paige.
With Paige and Tauanuu both sticking with the Trojans in 2026, Payne's ceiling with USC remained capped.
Regardless, Payne joins a growing list of USC players leaving the program in the college football transfer portal. Starting defensive tackle Devan Thompkins headlines the group, which also includes receiver Prince Strachan, running back Bryan Jackson, tight end Walker Lyons and linebacker Matai Tagoa'i, whose roles were all expected to expand in 2026.
The outgoing transfers add to the list of key players Riley is set to lose to the NFL. Star receivers Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane have both declared for the draft, along with tight end Lake McRee. Defensive lineman Jamaal Jarrett, linebacker Eric Gentry and safety Kamari Ramsey also opted out of the Alamo Bowl to prepare for the draft.
The Trojans will have to rebuild, but they do have many other key pieces returning. Quarterback Jayden Maiava, running backs Waymond Jordan and King Miller and star lineman Alani Noa each confirmed their returns to USC in 2026.
