USC’s first consensus All-American was Brice Taylor in 1925, a guard who was born without a left hand and one of the program’s first Black players. A century later the list runs to about 85 consensus selections and 28 unanimous, the most recent being Makai Lemon, named first team by all five NCAA selectors in 2025 on the way to the Biletnikoff Award and the first round of the draft.
Consensus Selections by Era
| Era | Names to know |
|---|---|
| Howard Jones era, 1925 to 1940 | Brice Taylor, Morley Drury, Erny Pinckert, Johnny Baker, Aaron Rosenberg, Cotton Warburton, Harry Smith |
| 1940s and 1950s | Ralph Heywood, John Ferraro, Paul Cleary, Frank Gifford, Jon Arnett, Ron Mix, Marlin McKeever |
| McKay era, 1960 to 1975 | Hal Bedsole, Mike Garrett, Ron Yary, Adrian Young, O.J. Simpson, Jimmy Gunn, Charles Young, Lynn Swann, Anthony Davis, Richard Wood, Ricky Bell |
| Robinson era, 1976 to 1982 | Marvin Powell, Gary Jeter, Charles White, Anthony Munoz, Brad Budde, Ronnie Lott, Marcus Allen, Roy Foster, Bruce Matthews, George Achica |
| 1980s and 1990s | Jack Del Rio, Tony Slaton, Duane Bickett, Jeff Bregel, Tim McDonald, Dave Cadigan, Mark Carrier, Junior Seau, Tony Boselli, Keyshawn Johnson, Chris Claiborne |
| Carroll era, 2001 to 2009 | Troy Polamalu, Carson Palmer, Mike Williams, Matt Leinart, Shaun Cody, Reggie Bush, Dwayne Jarrett, Taylor Mays, Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing |
| 2010s | Matt Kalil, T.J. McDonald, Marqise Lee, Leonard Williams, Adoree’ Jackson, Michael Pittman |
| 2020s | Drake London, Tuli Tuipulotu, Makai Lemon |
Gold rows are the eras that produced most of the honours. Names listed are first team All-Americans from each period, not a complete roster.
Brice Taylor, 1925
Taylor, a descendant of Tecumseh, was born without a left hand and became an All-American guard on Howard Jones’s first team. He was one of the first Black players at USC and the program’s first consensus All-American, and his name is the one the school leads with when it tells this history.
Tailback U
Five USC tailbacks were consensus All-Americans on the way to the Heisman: Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Charles White, Marcus Allen and Reggie Bush. Simpson, White and Allen were unanimous. Anthony Davis and Ricky Bell were consensus selections and Heisman runners up in 1974 and 1976, and Bush was unanimous in 2005. No program has produced more All-America running backs. Our Heisman winners page covers the eight.
Two Time Selections
Richard Wood was a first team All-American three times, in 1972, 1973 and 1974, the only Trojan to do it. Simpson was consensus in 1967 and 1968, Marvin Powell in 1975 and 1976, Brad Budde and Anthony Munoz on the same line in the late 1970s, Mike Williams in 2002 and 2003, and Bush in 2004 and 2005. Matt Leinart was consensus in 2004 and first team by two selectors in 2005 while finishing third in the Heisman vote.
The Linemen and Linebackers
USC’s reputation on offence obscures a defensive tradition that runs from Marlin McKeever and Adrian Young through Richard Wood, Clay Matthews, Junior Seau, Chris Claiborne, Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing, and an offensive line that produced Ron Yary, Anthony Munoz, Brad Budde, Bruce Matthews, Tony Boselli and Matt Kalil, six unanimous or consensus selections who became first round picks and in four cases Hall of Famers. Our NFL draft page covers where they went.
Makai Lemon, 2025
Lemon caught 1,156 yards’ worth of passes in the regular season, the most of any Power Four receiver, scored fourteen touchdowns including one he threw, won the Biletnikoff Award, and was named first team by the AP, the coaches, the writers, Walter Camp and the Sporting News. He was the first USC receiver to lead his conference in receiving yards since Drake London in 2021 and went 20th to Philadelphia in April.
The Bottom Line
USC has produced about 85 consensus All-Americans and 28 unanimous selections, beginning with Brice Taylor in 1925 and running through Makai Lemon in 2025. Five tailbacks were consensus picks on the way to the Heisman, Richard Wood was first team three times, and the Jones, McKay, Robinson and Carroll eras produced the bulk of the list. Our USC all time record page covers the seasons behind the honours.