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.
With 44 days to go, today we look at former USC defensive lineman Malik Dorton.
Position: Defensive line
Years played at USC: 2014-2018
Career highlights: Dorton redshirted his first season at USC in 2014 as a linebacker in 2014. After switching to defensive line during 2015 spring ball, he appeared in two games as a redshirt freshman. From 2016-2018, he was a significant contributor on the Trojans’ defensive line. Dorton’s best statistical season came in 2017, when he recorded 24 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and five passes defended.
After USC: Dorton was not selected in the 2019 NFL Draft. He briefly attended camp with the Oakland Raiders, and had stints with the Edminton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, the Alabama Airborne of Major League Football, and the Bay Area Panthers of the Indoor Football League. Per his LinkedIn page, Dorton currently works as a case manager for the Flintridge Center Youth of Promise program in Southern California.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC countdown to kickoff: Recalling Trojans DL Malik Dorton
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire | USA TODAY Network
