The Top 10 USC Trojans football players of the last decade

1. QB Sam Darnold (2015-17)

Sam Darnold left Southern California with less talent and accolades than Caleb Williams, but Darnold was the most important and tops our list.

Darnold's tenure with USC occurred during the most turbulent period in recent history. Fans might recall Darnold's freshman reason during which Steve Sarkisian was fired and replaced by Clay Helton. Darnold was brought to USC by former defensive coordinator to play linebacker. However, the Dana Point native opted to redshirt and stick around the quarterback room.

After Max Browne failed to live up to the hype, Darnold supplanted him as starting quarterback in 2016. From there, the Trojans overcame a 1-2 start, upset No. 21 Colorado and No. 4 Washington, and beat Notre Dame. During this time, Darnold set the USC record for most passing touchdowns by a freshman, and the Trojans' offense averaged 518 yards and 37 points per game.

The 2016 season was capped by a thrilling 52-49 win over No. 5 Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Darnold threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns while leading USC to its first Pasadena win since the 2008 season.

He followed up by throwing for 4,143 yards and 26 touchdowns during the 2017 season in which the Trojans won their first Pac-12 championship since 2008. For his collegiate career, Darnold departed USC with a 20-4 record, Archie Griffin (2016) and Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year (2016) awards, and a First-team All Pac-12 selection (2017).

What's most impressive about Darnold's tenure is that he achieved while playing for one of the most remedial head coaches in USC history. Darnold was also the COG of the most successful Trojan teams since the end of the Pete Carroll era in Los Angeles.