The USC Trojans will have a “director of AI” on staff for the 2026 college football season, according to a report.
That news was first reported by USA Today’s John Brice on Wednesday morning. Brice reports that Conor McQuiston will take on that role, which is believed to be the first of its kind at a major college football program.
Brice also notes that McQuiston will report directly to USC general manager Chad Bowden.
McQuiston was hired by USC as its director of football analytics in 2025. He previously worked for the Arizona Cardinals as an analytics intern and was an undergraduate analytics manager at Michigan, his alma mater, back in 2021.
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USC is hoping to make a big leap forward in 2026, which will be Lincoln Riley’s 5th season at the helm. The Trojans have yet to reach the College Football Playoff since hiring Riley away from Oklahoma.
USC returns double-digit starters, including quarter Jayden Maiava and is hoping to get to the CFP for the first time ever this season.
USC has not yet officially announced McQuiston’s transition to director of AI. It’s also unclear at this time who would replace him as director of football analytics.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
