USC football coach Lincoln Riley was a constant presence in special teams meetings this season, slipping in to monitor the phase of the game that’s becoming increasingly important. He was on the field with the group, too, observing each fielded punt and kickoff.
Riley will have a new man to trust with special teams this season. The Trojans have hired Mike Ekeler, former special teams coach at Nebraska, to lead the group.
Ekeler has nine seasons of experience as a special teams coordinator between his time at Nebraska, Tennessee and North Texas. In his four seasons with the Volunteers, his special teams unit led the nation in punt return yards as well as percentage of punts downed inside the opponent’s 10-yard line.
USC punter Sam Johnson and long snapper Hank Pepper have run out of eligibility, but kicker Ryon Sayeri will come back as the most valuable part of special teams.
Sayeri graduated from Chaminade High and walked on to the team and to compete for the kicking job. He ended up setting the single-season record for field goals in 2025. He hit 21 out of 25 field goals and was a perfect 48 for 48 on PATs. Sixty-three of the 89 kickoffs he handled were touchbacks.
The Trojans gain an Australian punter in Memphis transfer Lachlan Carrigan and an experienced long snapper in Oregon State transfer Dylan Black.
But no position is secure until the fall, and there’s a good chance there may be position battles in the third – and valuable – phase of the game.
As the first transfer portal window has wrapped – although exceptions are always possible – here’s a full breakdown of the movement within USC’s special teams entering spring, the final edition in a seven-part series examining the post-portal scholarship outlook for every part of the roster. Previously, we looked at the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, linebackers and secondary.
KICKER
Returning: Caden Chittenden, Soph.; Ryon Sayeri, R-Fr.;
PUNTER
Returning: Rey Sanchez, R-Jr.
Arriving: Lachlan Carrigan (transfer, Memphis)
Departing: Sam Johnson, R-Sr. (eligibility)
LONG SNAPPER
Returning: Devin McDonough, R-Jr.; Luke Brown, Fr.
Arriving: Dylan Black, R-Sr. (transfer, Oregon State)
Departing: Hank Pepper, R-Sr. (eligibility);
TOP QUESTIONS
Will Sayeri be the go-to guy at kicker?
Ryon Sayeri gained a major advantage in the race for starting kicker when Caden Chittenden sustained an injury that kept him out of the entire season. The situation played out in the Trojans’ favor, and Sayeri went on to have a record-breaking season.
Chittenden played his 2024 season at UNLV before transferring to USC. He was 26 for 33 on field goals and made 7 out of 8 from between 40-49 yards with a season-long kick of 52 yards. He hit 55 out of 56 PATs.
The two may have to battle to win the starting job at kicker, or they may split playing time. The coaching staff may also choose to move Sayeri, who is listed as both a kicker and punter on the roster, to punter.
Who can replace Pepper at long snapper?
Pepper, who was regularly named a team captain this past season, was the key to special teams’ success. His four years of college experience at the position and steady hand set Sayeri up for success and helped Sam Johnson average just over 40 yards per punt.
The best option at long snapper is Oregon State transfer Dylan Black, a stage 3 testicular cancer survivor who broke his hand in the first game last season. He had played in every game as the Beavers’ long snapper in his three prior seasons.
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