Joel Klatt echoes desired aspects USC fans would like to see from team this season

It doesn't take too long before a USC discussion quickly becomes about the offense. This is a unit that has a lot of potential, and certainly, there is plenty of talent on that side of the ball to be among some of the better offenses in the nation.

While giving his list of potential teams to make their first College Football Playoff appearance, Klatt assessed what he views from the Trojans as a whole entering into the 2025 season.

Two main negatives that the former Colorado quarterback stated that he'd like to see improved from last year's Trojans are turnovers from the quarterback position and being able to establish and stick with the run. Sound familiar?

Looking first at QB, this is something that applies to all teams. Turnovers will kill any momentum within a game, and seeing a particularly bad read lead to an interception can be a backbreaker.

There is a reason why coach Lincoln Riley moved on from Miller Moss during the season itself. Now, with a full offseason and training camp as the starter, Jayden Maiava will be expected to take something of a leap this year. In the turnover department, especially, Trojan fans will be satisfied with his just eliminating the especially bad ones.

On that front, Coach Riley has expressed his optimism that the USC QB has learned from his past mistakes and will be able to show a better command of the offense. Now a veteran, Maiava will need to show his ability to read the defenses and make throws like one.

Common criticism among USC fans brought up

Then there is the often clamored-for desire to run the football more. As Klatt mentioned, coach Riley's first year with the Trojans and his successful past seasons before arriving in Los Angeles had the run game as a featured part of the offense.

Particularly with Eli Sanders and Waymond Jordan now as Trojans and after underutilizing Woody Marks, it should be expected that balance is restored closer to what it has historically been under coach Riley-led teams.

As with anything, there are negatives and positives to discuss and continue to monitor. Klatt believes that if only a couple of additional areas get tightened up, then the Trojans will, in fact, be in a position to make the CFP.