12-07-2025
USC football countdown to kickoff—Nick Figueroa in focus
The countdown to USC's 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 50 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number.
Believe it or not, we are now halfway through the countdown, with the start of the season just 50 days away. Today, we look at former USC defensive lineman Nick Figueroa.
Position: Defensive line
Years played at USC: 2019-2022
Career highlights: After redshirting at Cal Poly in 2017 and spending the 2018 season at the junior college level, Figueroa transferred to USC in 2019. He wore the No. 50 gor his first three years at USC, before switching to the No. 99 ahead of his final season of eligibility in 2022. The number change proved to be effective, as Figueroa had a career year, recording 26 total tackles and 5.5 sacks.
For whatever reason, Figueroa loved playing against the Washington State Cougars. Of his 9.0 career sacks, five came in two games against Washington State. Wazzu fans were likely very happy when Figueroa graduated, as it meant that he would not be able to terrorize their quarterbacks anymore.
After USC: Figueroa was not selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. He graduated from USC with a bachelor's degree in real estate and subsequently pursued a master's degree in finance while playing for the Trojans.
