The No. 16 USC Trojans sparked new defensive energy following their dismal 41-27 loss to Oregon. Looks like that Sept. 26 debacle ignited this unit, which coach Lincoln Riley now sees himself.

But he's also witnessed the impact of having one veteran defender back. Especially after USC originally feared linebacker Elijah Newby would miss all of 2026 with a knee injury.

Lincoln Riley Loving the Presence of Having Elijah Newby Back

Newby hasn't delivered astronomical stats this season: two solo tackles and delivering one sack with one forced fumble. He did deliver a strip sack against Washington, though, during USC's defensive resurgence.

Elijah Newby strip sack and Jahkeem Stewart rumbles down the field for a 48-yard touchdown pic.twitter.com/ZMOmiakOnE

— Kendell Hollowell (@KHollowell_) October 4, 2026

But Newby shows his impact in a more pivotal area: Leadership, establishing himself as a vocal voice for the Trojans before games. That became evident before USC needed to drown out the "white out" inside Beaver Stadium before facing Penn State back on Oct. 10.

White noise. 🔇✌️

USC vs. Penn State 🍿 pic.twitter.com/cO4zHsAkCD

— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) October 14, 2026

Riley himself believes "getting him back was huge" as he told reporters. He even likes how Newby defied odds.

"When he got injured in fall camp, we all thought it had the look of a season ender," Riley told reporters via his Zoom call on Oct. 22. "When we got the good news that it wasn't, we knew he was going back. That was a big lift for our team because he's a good player and also, just an emotional spark plug for this team."

Elijah Newby is a Big 'Voice' for USC

Again, Newby doesn't need to set the world on fire with his defensive skillset. Nor is he really asked to overwhelm opponents off his athleticism; especially on a USC defense featuring rising freshman edge rusher Luke Wafle and defensive tackle Jide Abasiri creating waves with their athletic skills.

But Riley leans on Newby more to inspire through his words outside of his play.

"He's got a real voice on this team from a leadership perspective," Riley said. "So getting him back was huge and he busted his tail to get back. He's obviously helped us some from a package standpoint. But his athleticism and ability to defend the run is pretty apparent."

Newby previously combined for 10 tackles and six solo stops before the 2026 season. His third college season marked a pivotal breakout campaign, as he walked in clearly aiming to show his uncanny athleticism that made him a four-star signing on the recruiting trail.

Versatility of Elijah Newby on Display Amid Comeback Journey

Newby ignites things on special teams too in becoming a wild man running down the field aiming to deliver the big hit. Riley continue to glorify Newby's presence following his long turnaround journey to return right away.

"There's not many 'backers who can run like this guy can run," Riley said. "And I think over the weeks, he's been getting healthier and healthier. Just knocking off some rust from missing the time he did with the injury."

Gaining a healthier Newby has clearly become beneficial for a team that needed a defensive spark, but also a stout special teams presence. He'll certainly come in handy against an incoming dual-threat quarterback in Colton Joseph of Wisconsin, who USC faces on Oct. 24 in Madison. Riley is very much looking forward to having this healthier version of Newby during a pivotal push the Trojans are aiming to make.

"I think when you look at this second half of the season from say both a defense and ST (special teams) standpoint, he can help us more in the back half," Riley said.