Sam Darnold will become the first quarterback from USC to start a Super Bowl when he leads the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots in Santa Clara this Sunday. The Sam Darnold Super Bowl appearance adds another dimension of interest for USC and UCLA fans alike, as several former players from both schools suit up for the big game.
Darnold aims to join Brad Johnson, Tom Brady, and Matthew Stafford as the few quarterbacks who have won a Super Bowl in their first season with a new team. Under his leadership, the Seahawks improved dramatically from a 10-7 record in 2024 to an NFL best-tying 14-3 record in 2025, securing their first Super Bowl berth since 2014, the year they faced—and lost to—New England, 28-24.
Season Performance and Career Moves Driving Seattle’s Success
In the regular season, Darnold ranked fifth in the league with 4,048 passing yards, a key factor in Seattle’s offensive turnaround. He signed a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seahawks on March 13, marking his fourth team in four NFL seasons and his fifth overall in an eight-year career that started when the New York Jets selected him as the third overall pick in the 2018 draft. Notably, he is the first among the top five quarterbacks chosen in that draft to make a Super Bowl appearance.
Before joining Seattle, Darnold spent one season with the Minnesota Vikings, leading the league with 4,319 passing yards and 361 completions while guiding Minnesota to a 14-3 record—their best since the 15-1 finish in 1998. His earlier stint was as the San Francisco 49ers‘ backup quarterback in 2023, where he appeared in 10 regular-season games and started the season finale but did not participate in the postseason, which culminated in a narrow overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Darnold’s journey also included a trade from the Jets to the Carolina Panthers in 2021, where he started 11 games before losing the starting role to Baker Mayfield in the 2022 preseason. An ankle injury sidelined him until nearly midseason, and after starting the final six games, he was not re-signed as the Panthers drafted Bryce Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, with the first pick in 2023. Subsequently, Darnold joined San Francisco as a free agent and won the backup position over Trey Lance behind starter Brock Purdy.
Collegiate Foundations and Key Seahawks Teammates
Darnold’s strong USC roots began when he took over as the Trojans’ starting quarterback in 2016, leading them to a Rose Bowl victory that season and a Pac-12 championship the following year—the last time USC accomplished both. His connection with former college teammates continues in Seattle, where several USC alums play pivotal roles, including linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, nose tackle Brandon Pili, and defensive tackle Leonard Williams.
Another crucial target for Darnold has been Jake Bobo, a former UCLA player who completed his college career at UCLA in 2022 after transferring from Duke. Bobo was instrumental in Seattle’s playoff run, catching a 17-yard touchdown pass from Darnold in the NFC championship game against the Rams and a pivotal short pass on third-and-10 during a wildcard round game against San Francisco that set up a touchdown drive.
He stepped up for us in other ways throughout the season blocking, doing his thing on (special) teams, but he came up big as well last week with that third-down conversion.
– Sam Darnold, Quarterback
The Seahawks also count former UCLA standout Zach Charbonnet among their active players. However, Charbonnet was placed on the reserve/injured list after suffering an ACL tear in the wildcard round, dealing a blow to Seattle’s running game. The Patriots, by contrast, do not have any current players from USC or UCLA on their roster.
Super Bowl Milestones and Broadcast Information
This upcoming Super Bowl marks the 53rd occasion with at least one USC player on an active roster, and the 52nd featuring a player from UCLA. The kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., with NBC providing live television coverage of the game.
The presence of Sam Darnold as a starting quarterback is significant for USC football’s prestige, while the mix of players from rival West Coast schools demonstrates a unique connection on this national stage. As Darnold and the Seahawks seek their first Super Bowl title since 2014, the role of USC and UCLA alumni will be a talking point, bridging collegiate legacies with professional aspirations in one of football’s most watched events.
