Countdown to kickoff is back! USC will kick off its 2026 football season on August 29 when the Trojans host San Jose State at the Coliseum. In this series, we will be counting down the days until the season opener by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number.
Today, we look at Claude Pelon, a defensive lineman who made two huge plays for USC during the 2010s.
Position: Defensive line
Years played at USC: 2014-2015
Career highlights: Originally from Orlando, Florida, Pelon spent the first three years of his collegiate career at junior college, before transferring to USC in 2014. In two seasons with the Trojans, he recorded 46 tackles and four sacks.
Pelon made two particularly memorable plays during his time in Cardinal and Gold. In a 2014 game at Arizona, he blocked a field goal that proved to be massive in the Trojans’ upset of the No. 10 Wildcats. Then in the 2015 Crosstown Showdown vs. UCLA, Pelon had a strip sack of Bruins’ quarterback Josh Rosen that teammate Rasheem Green picked up and ran back for a Trojans touchdown.
After USC: Pelon signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent following the 2016 NFL Draft. He appeared in one game for the team in 2017, recording two tackles. Pelon also briefly spent time with the Tennessee Titans.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC countdown to kickoff: Recalling Trojans DL Claude Pelon
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
