LB Raesjon Davis plans to redshirt rest of season but stay at USC next year

USC senior linebacker Raesjon Davis intends to redshirt and sit out the rest of the season to preserve his final year of eligibility, but the plan is for Davis to stay with the Trojans and compete for a role next year, his father Rashard Davis told TrojanSports.com.

Coach Lincoln Riley addressed the matter Tuesday after practice.

"Raesjon's a senior, he's not playing significant defensive snaps right now. He's done some really good things, had a big special teams play for us the other day. Yeah, he came in and we chatted about it. You can understand both sides of it," Riley said. "... The kid really wants to play, but he also wants a chance to play more defensively too. So yeah, we'll watch it play out. Nothing set in stone right now. That option's out there, but we'll see how this season evolves and how it evolves for Raesjon."

Davis has played just 9 defensive snaps this season, per PFF, while having a larger role on special teams.

This would count as his final year of eligibility if he played in another game, as players are permitted to play in four regular-season games while still maintaining the option to redshirt.

Davis was a top-100 national prospect out of Mater Dei High School in the 2021 recruiting class. He's totaled 31 tackles over three-plus seasons with the Trojans and wasn't in line to see a larger role on defense the rest of this fall.

But Davis has taken well to new linebackers coach Matt Entz and believes another year working with him would be in his best interest.

Riley, meanwhile, had thoughts on the four-game redshirt rule in general.

"It'll be something that will have to be addressed big picture, putting teams, players, all that in these positions. This four-game redshirt deal, I think there's probably some better ways to do it than what we're doing right now. But as long as we have it, you're going to have situations like this and you understand the push-pull," he said.

"... I think guys should have five years. Do whatever you want. Play as much as you want or play as little as you want, and the only way you get an extra one is if you’ve had two season-ending injuries when you miss the whole season. I think it should be that plain and simple and be done. And then no one would have to worry about this other crap, with how many games we played and all that. I understand why it’s there, but I still think it’s a little bit behind the times."