USC has more transfer portal work to do if the Trojans hope to compete for the Big Ten in 2024
All in all, it’s been a fairly productive offseason for USC.
On the heels of a disappointing 8-5 season, Lincoln Riley impressively overhauled his defensive coaching staff and has gotten serious about recruiting again — particularly landing impact linemen from the South.
He poached defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn away from UCLA, and added multiple other quality assistants including Los Angeles Rams defensive line coach Eric Henderson, who immediately jumpstarted USC’s recruiting by flipping 5-star Justus Terry from Georgia.
During the initial transfer portal window, USC made waves by swiping linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold (team-high 107 tackles, two INTs, 6.5 TFLS) and safety Akilli Arnold away from Oregon State and UCLA defensive backs Kamari Ramsey and John Humphrey, among others.
But while the future in Los Angeles looks brighter than it did after wasting Caleb Williams‘ final season, the Trojans still have more work to do if they hope to field a championship roster in the Big Ten this fall.
USC still lacks beef along the offensive and defensive lines
The Trojans had a solid spring, per those with boots on the ground in LA, culminating in a scrimmage where Lynn’s defense showcased renewed fundamentals and effort.
The linebackers actually tackled. The defensive backs weren’t totally lost, and actually made some plays on the football.
It was a tad concerning that quarterback Miller Moss didn’t look all that great in the spring game, but no one has ever questioned Lincoln Riley’s work with QBs. The Trojans also brought in former UNLV starter Jayden Maiava to push Moss, so Riley has options.
At issue is whether USC has done enough in the transfer portal to address the lines of scrimmage before banging heads with the likes of LSU, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska and Notre Dame? Even Rutgers and Wisconsin, also on the 2024 schedule, are going to play a physical brand of football next season.
Well, the answer is no.
The Trojans still lack the necessary depth, talent and beef to truly field a team capable of winning the Big Ten in 2024.
Just ask their head coach.
Lincoln Riley is on record this spring — more than once — noting that the Trojans needed to add linemen (plural, on both sides of the ball) via the transfer portal, and yet thus far, they’ve swung and missed.
USC hasn’t landed a single offensive lineman this offseason, and the lone defensive lineman signee who remains on the roster is Vandy transfer Nate Clifton. For a brief moment, the Trojans had former blue-chip tackle Isaiah Raikes on campus, but the Texas A&M transfer flipped to Auburn last month.
During the spring window, the Trojans inked a pair of wideouts and cornerback Greedy Vance from Florida State — all nice adds — but the spotlight holes along the lines of scrimmage failed to be addressed.
The bat signal was on — and shining brightly through the Hollywood Hills. Only thus far, no one has answered Riley’s call.
USC was unable to convince Christen Miller to leave Georgia. The Trojans then missed out on Damonic Williams and Jermayne Lole, both of whom ended up at Oklahoma, and lost out a battle with Oregon for Michigan State transfer Derrick Harmon. They also saw Pitt pass rusher Dayon Hayes pick Colorado.
The most notable defensive lineman movement was keeping Bear Alexander in the building, but the former 5-star transfer from UGA remains as much an enigma as a known commodity. Alexander sat out the spring game with a hamstring issue and wasn’t an active participant for much of the spring.
The good news for Riley & Co., is while the spring window has closed, there are still intriguing options looking for future landing spots. Over the weekend, USC hosted Grand Valley State tackle Jay’viar Suggs and
Louisville edge Tyler Baron — both of which would represent solid upgrades on the roster. The Trojans are also in play for Stephen F. Austin tackle Brandon Lane and Texas A&M center/guard Bryce Foster.
The lack of offensive tackle options is a real issue, but that’s a recourse USC must own after going this deep into the offseason without addressing such needs.
The next week or two will be critical for USC to cap an offseason with the “necessary” — Riley’s words, not mine — additions up front to bounce back in 2024 and truly contend for the Big Ten in Year 1 in the conference. Otherwise, the spring will feel like a missed opportunity to seize on the momentum the Trojans established earlier in the offseason.