#39
Nate Hillenburg
Returning to USC for 2026
Indianapolis, Ind. → Cathedral / Cornell / Valparaiso
via usctrojans.com ↗Nate Hillenburg
Limited signal — not enough coverage for a story yet.
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Lincoln Riley
How he plays
2026 Outlook
USC
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Punter · USC
Returning around him
- 3 USC players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -13 net (9 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
USC · Last season: 9-4 (AP #16) · Talent rank #17 · 2026 recruiting class #1
Background
CAREER: Throughout his five-year career (four at Cornell and one at Valparaiso), Hillenburg has recorded 49 punts for 1,923 yards (39.2 avg.) with a long of 59. Thirteen punts were fair caught and 9 were downed inside the 20, with 6 going over 50 yards. He has tallied 5 touchbacks. 2026: Hillenbu...
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology