Published Jan 5, 2025
USC adds to deep backfield with top JUCO RB transfer Waymond Jordan Jr.
Ryan Young  •  TrojanSports
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The roster rebuild process has come more slowly for USC this offseason overall, but as usual, the Trojans have fully restocked at running back.

USC picked up a commitment from top JUCO RB target Waymond Jordan on Sunday after his visit to campus this week, adding the highly-productive playmaker to a backfield that includes New Mexico transfer Eli Sanders, returning young talents Bryan Jackson and A'Marion Peterson and incoming freshmen Riley Wormley and Harry Dalton III.

Jordan rushed for 1,612 yards in 12 games on 7.4 yards per carry with 20 rushing touchdowns and a receiving TD for Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, earning NJCAA DI Football Offensive Player of the Year honors.

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The 5-foot-10, 205-pound Jordan is from Pensacola, Florida, and has three years of eligibility remaining, which made him an attractive and coveted target for many programs nationally.

He ultimately chose USC over North Carolina, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and UCF, where he initially committed last month.

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In Lincoln Riley's USC tenure, the Trojans have consistently reloaded at the running back position every offseason, from Travis Dye and Austin Jones to MarShawn Lloyd to Woody Marks this past year.

The youngsters Jackson and Peterson got the work an opportunity to showcase themselves in the bowl game, combining for 109 rushing yards and a touchdown in the Las Vegas Bowl win over Texas A&M.

But they'll be competing for roles on the depth chart with proven commodities like Sanders and Jordan coming into the program.

Sanders rushed for 1,063 yards and 9 touchdowns on 7.2 yards per carry for New Mexico this season, adding 15 receptions for 134 yards after spending the prior three seasons at Iowa State. He averaged 118.9 yards per game over the final seven contests, rushing for at least 70 yards in each and stringing together consecutive games of 205 yards and 2 TDs vs. Wyoming, 173 yards and 2 TDs vs. San Diego State, 108 yards and a TD vs. Washington State and 121 yards vs. Hawaii to close the season.

Jordan, meanwhile, led all JUCO Division I running backs with his 134.3 rushing yards per game -- 23.1 more than any other back -- and his 20 touchdowns while leading Hutchinson CC to the NJCAA Div. 1 national championship.