Which USC Trojans might have a breakout season in 2024?

Fall camp for the USC football program is in full swing. That means that there are competitions across the roster as players try to impress Lincoln Riley and his coaching staff.

This year, USC is in an interesting position. After losing quite a bit of productivity from last season, especially on offense, there are ample opportunities for new or unproven players to step up and become regular contributors.

So let's take a look at five Trojans who could be breakout stars this year. Some may be familiar to USC fans but not to fans on a national scale while others are going to get their first opportunity to shine this fall. But each has the potential to become a foundational piece of the 2024 team.

Let's give the obvious candidate some attention first. Miller Moss appears to be the next starting QB for USC (even if Riley is hesitant to anoint him as QB1 just yet) and that will give him ample opportunities to become a star not only in Southern California but nationally as well.

Moss has big shoes to fill, though. After all, he's trying to step out of the shadow of Caleb Williams, a generational talent and one of the most gifted QBs to ever play for USC.

What makes Moss easy to root for is that he has patiently waited for this opportunity. In the modern era of player movement via the transfer portal, he could have easily jumped ship and earned immediate playing time somewhere else. He didn't take the easy way out, though, and now, after three years on campus, he's going to get his shot.

Moss was spectacular in the Holiday Bowl last season with six touchdown passes and over 300 yards through the air in his first career start. That game introduced him to USC fans and if he can play at that level for a full season in 2024, he will be one of the national breakout stars.

Woody Marks has been around the block in major college football. He spent four years in the SEC with Mississippi State where he posted over 3,000 all-purpose yards.

Still, because he played for a middling SEC program, he has yet to become a household name for college football fans. That could change if he has a huge senior season at USC.

Marks will have to earn the starting job in a crowded running back room. However, as a super-senior, he should have a leg up on his competition.

Marks is an explosive athlete and he may be one of the fastest running backs in the entire NCAA. Thus, his potential for electric plays is through the roof. At MSU he had a 54-yard TD run and he averaged 4.6 yards per carry on a team where he was one of the only offensive stars.

At USC, he'll be surrounded by playmakers so defenses won't be able to focus on him. What's more, he'll be playing for an innovative offensive head coach and it will be exciting to see how Riley deploys his new weapon.

Hardcore Trojan fans who follow recruiting know about freshman defensive end Kameryn Fountain. After all, the former 4-star recruit was one of the top players in the 2024 recruiting class. According to 247Sports.com, he was the No. 12 defensive lineman and No. 58 overall player in his class.

This year, Fountain could break into the USC defensive line rotation. He's already got the size to play at the Big Ten level and he has the pedigree to suggest that he could make waves early in his career.

Last year, USC averaged 2.3 sacks per game, sixth-best in the PAC-12. However, this year, Solomon Byrd (6.0 sacks in 2023, second on the team) and Romelo Height (4.0 sacks in 2023) are gone meaning that the 2024 team will have to find some new players to get after the QB.

Putting too much pressure on a true freshman isn't wise. However, Fountain could prove to be ready to contribute right out of the gates and if that happens, he'll quickly become a star.

Any of USC's talented young wide receivers could be potential breakout stars in 2024. However, Duce Robinson might have as much upside as any player on the roster.

Recruited as a tight end, he played wide receiver last season and caught 16 balls for 351 yards and two TDs in ten games. His average of 21.9 yards per catch was the best on the team among players with multiple receptions and that makes him an intriguing player heading into this season.

You have to love his size on the outside. He's 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds meaning he's going to have a physical edge over virtually any defensive back that he lines up against.

However, he's also a fluid athlete with great speed for his size. That's why he could emerge as one of the star receivers in the USC offense. He ended 2023 on an uptick catching at least one ball in each of the final four games. What's more, he was USC's third-leading receiver a season ago. Now, it could be his time to shine for the Trojans.

Finally, don't sleep on UCLA transfer safety Kamari Ramsey. He could be in the perfect spot to become a star in the Big Ten.

Last season, he made 40 tackles while breaking up five passes and picking off one as a redshirt freshman. Now, can he make that sophomore jump and become a true ball hawk for the Trojans?

Ramsey should feel right at home in new defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn's defensive scheme given that Lynn was Ramsey's D.C. last year with the Bruins.

What's more, Lynn's specialty is working with defensive backs. He coached defensive backs in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans before getting into the college game.

Lynn's expertise could help turn Ramsey into a star player. In 2023, he was seventh on the UCLA defense (which was rather salty) in tackles despite missing two games. That's impressive for a redshirt freshman.

Now, Ramsey has followed Lynn to USC where he should fit right in for the Trojans. So don't be surprised to see this transfer become an immediate leader for a program desperate to play better defense.