USC Running Back Waymond Jordan Embracing New Role During Injury Recovery

USC running back Waymond Jordan hobbled off the field with an ankle injury late in the second quarter of the teams win over Michigan last October.

It was an injury that required surgery and ended up costing him the rest of the season. However, the very next day, Jordan was the first player in the running backs meeting room and remained highly engaged with his teammates, particularly with King Miller, who stepped in as the new starting running back.

Waymond Jordan's Timeline at USC

Jordan joined USC last winter as the No. 1 JUCO running back in the 2025 cycle after being named the NJCAA DI Football Offensive Player of the Year and leading Hutchinson (Kan.) C.C. to a NJCAA DI Football Championship in 2024.

Jordan was an instant hit for the Trojans, who became a more balanced offensive attack with the emergence of the Florida native. He rushed for 576 yards on 88 carries (6.5 avg.) with five touchdowns in five and a half games.

This spring, Jordan was limited to start practice. He was running routes on air and catching passes with the rest of the team during the media viewing portion the second week of practice. However, he underwent a cleanup procedure during spring break that kept him out the final two weeks of practice.

"This spring was more of a maintenance deal, just to clean some things up," said running backs coach Anthony Jones. "He's handled it well, he's a phenomenal spirit. He's done a great job of just preparing himself the best way. He's training hard, he's rehabbing hard. He's done a really good job of just taking what he's able to do, and doing it an extremely high level."

Jordan may not be practicing but has continued to be a leader not just for the running back room but with the entire team.

"He's a lot more vocal than he was last year," Jones said. "I think his growth and his leadership has really shown this past spring, with him being limited in practice. And not just in the running back room, but the offense in general, the team in general. Sits in the front of the room in every team meeting. He's just a young man who you can see his growth with the leadership that he's taking on with this team."

Pairing up with King Miller

Jordan was excellent the first half of the season for the Trojans and Miller was excellent the second half of the season.

The two will form one of the more dynamic backfields not just in the Big Ten, but the entire country next season. They will also have the luxury of running behind an offensive line that returns all five starters, several key reserves and an impressive group of freshmen that are challenging from day one.

Southern Cal deployed a more physical brand of football on the offensive side of the ball last season that epitomizes the conference. USC is hoping to improve upon that in 2026.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as USC Running Back Waymond Jordan Embracing New Role During Injury Recovery .

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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM.