USC might have found its next superstar receiver in freshman: Hes special

One of the big questions facing USC entering its most pivotal season of the Lincoln Riley era was who would replace star wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane.With every catch he made and tackle he broke in his collegiate debut, Trent Mosley provided an answer.Hey, I’m here!Drawing immediate comparisons to Lemon for his big-play ability Saturday at the Coliseum, Mosley looked like an NFL-ready true freshman.“That kid moves differently,” running back King Miller said after the No.14 Trojans’ 42-26 victory over San Jose State.

“I mean, he’s special.”By snagging seven passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, Mosley became the first USC freshman to top 100 receiving yards in his first college game since JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2014.His production was especially meaningful on a day that top returning receiver Tanook Hines did not play while continuing to round into form from an offseason medical procedure.Perhaps Mosley’s biggest highlight came the first time he touched the ball.After grabbing a punt midway through the first quarter, Mosley sidestepped a lunging defender and raced toward the far side of the field.

Slipping one tackle, he cut back inside, breaking another tackle just past midfield while somehow keeping his balance and his legs churning.Finally brought down after a 41-yard return, Mosley had energized the crowd and his teammates, not to mention a former Trojan.“Trent Mosley will be a monster at returner!!” tweeted Su’a Kristopher Cravens, the onetime USC safety who played multiple seasons in the NFL and is now an analyst for ESPN and the Big Ten Network.“Yal [sic] just got a lil taste of what I been seeing since spring.”Mosley repeatedly saved Jayden Maiava on a day the veteran quarterback wasn’t his best, stretching his arms high into the air to make a 20-yard catch on an overthrown pass.

It wasn’t the only time Mosley bailed out Maiava, earning him more passes thrown his way.“Every time he caught the ball [after] I ...