Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is USC Football's Other Star Freshman Receiver

USC Football wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is enjoying a breakout freshman season as the 6-2 Trojans are fighting an uphill battle to make the college football playoffs for the first time in program history.

The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes are coming to town for a Saturday night showdown as the USC Trojans are getting ready for a game with major playoff implications.

Head Coach Lincoln Riley will be relying on a multiple freshman to help lead USC past Ohio State. Dixon-Wyatt is one of the key pieces that Riley will be leaning on to upset the Buckeyes.

Through the first eight games of the season Dixon Wyat leads USC in receptions with 32. On the season the freshman standout has 443 receiving yards with four touchdowns. He is averaging 13.80 yards per catch, with his longest catch being 32 yards.

What is unique about this year's USC team is that they have two freshman receivers who have stepped up in 2026. Trent Mosley has been named as a Freshman Midseason all purpose All-American, while Dixon-Wyatt has been named as an All-American honorable mention.

Key games for Dixon-Wyatt have been: San Jose State where he scored his first reception and first touchdown of his college career. Fresno State where he had six receptions for 106 yards. Against the Oregon Ducks he racked up seven receptions for 114 yards and a score. 

Dixon-Wyatt came to USC as part of that 2026 prized No.1 recruiting class. He played his high school ball at nearby Mater Dei High School. The star player was listed by Rivals as the No.5 wide receiver in the country. He was honored as “Alpha Dog” at the Navy All-American bowl.

Dixon-Wyatt is elite at using his 6-foot-2 frame with his 200 lbs body. He is USC’s version of NFL Hall Of Famer Randy Moss, the way he bodies defensive backs and competes for the fifty-fifty balls. Dixon-Wyatt is a big receiver who is athletic and physical. 

USC is coming off of a brutal road loss to the now No.25 the Wisconsin Badgers. Against Wisconsin, Dixon-Wyatt and Mosley combined for ten catches but no touchdowns. Against Ohio State the two star players are going to need to find a way to get into the end zone.

This is a game the USC must win to keep it’s playoff hopes alive. If USC gets it’s third loss they would most likely miss the playoffs as no At-Large team with three losses has ever made the college football playoffs. 

USC still has two top ten teams (No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers and No. 7 UCLA Bruins), left on it’s schedule after they play Ohio State.

USC will host Ohio State on Halloween evening in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. USC has won 11 of its last 12 home games.

The Buckeyes are a 7.5 point favorite.