USC football set to feature experienced Waymond Jordan at running back

The USC running back room is an area the head coach, Lincoln Riley, has told fans to keep their eye on. A large part of that is because of the addition of Waymond Jordan. Joining the Trojans, he comes to Los Angeles via the community college route. While playing for the Blue Dragons, the RB worked his way up the depth chart. His efforts earned him an NJCAA DI Football Offensive Player of the Year award as well as a championship as a sophomore.

Now at a top program in Division I college football, Jordan is only looking to build on his resume. Leading the nation in many categories, including yards per game and touchdowns, he showed a lot of high-end ability at Hutchinson. His shiftiness and vision, combined with his balance and power, make him something of an ideal athlete to line up in the backfield in the Big Ten.

Add that he feels comfortable running routes and catching in space, as well as his ability and willingness to block, which elevate him as a true all-purpose back. In the BIG in particular, having someone like Jordan who can pick up third-and-short and fourth-and-short in a variety of ways is important. 

Gadget plays in those types of situations are nice to have, and his ball skills are at a level where coach Riley would be able to trust him to convert as part of a trick play or two. At the end of the day in the BIG, teams just need someone who can run between the tackles, make the first man miss, and move the chains. This is an essential element that Jordan brings to the USC football program.

Speaking with reporters after practice, the junior discussed his path to a Power Four program and what his approach has been since starting his career at Hutchinson CC. For players who make the jump, staying hungry and, so to speak, 'earning your keep' are often traits that translate well at the next level of play. 

Needed stepping stone for USC football RB

For Jordan, the early adversity while watching other recruiters overlook his talents helped to fuel his continued work ethic and professional approach. He elaborated, as shared by the team's YouTube channel:

"Once I learned exactly what I needed to do, how to take care of my body, it helped me go on the field and keep going. "

The mental switch paid off, as coach Riley brought him to campus and expects to lean on the transfer RB heavily come the fall. Jordan started at a community college, where he saw limited snaps as a freshman, but that experience proved to be invaluable as his play soon elevated once he learned how to prepare himself the right way.

He mentioned that he'll sometimes think about why bigger schools didn't express strong interest in him coming out of high school, but that that's a distant secondary concern now. Instead, his focus is on continuing to implement the lessons he experienced and taught himself. Through his play, Jordan aims to put up numbers and have good performances worthy of some of the great USC football RBs that have worn the Cardinal and Gold.