Lincoln Riley 'impressed' with Anthony Lucas

USC landed one of the most interesting EDGE players in the transfer portal this year in former Texas A&M defensive lineman Anthony Lucas. He currently ranks as the No. 14 player who hit the portal, and No. 1 at his position.

Lucas has made his impact felt early on in Southern California, earning the plaudits of his head coach Lincoln Riley.

“He’s done a good job,” Riley said after a spring practice. “I’ve really been impressed. For a younger guy to transfer in, he’s learned our stuff. He’s been very reliable from a scheme standpoint. He makes explosive plays. He’s brought really good energy and competitiveness to each day. He was one of the first newcomers to earn or to become gold plated. He got that on a couple of days back. He’s done a nice job. He’s really acclimated well. Just been a really fun guy to have in the program. He’s been a fun guy to put on our defense.”

Lucas was the No. 42 overall recruit and No. 6 defensive lineman in the 2022 On3 Industry Ranking. The On3 Industry is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four major recruiting media services. The On3 Industry Ranking is the most advanced, complete and unbiased rating and ranking measurement in the industry.

He played in seven games as a freshman for the Aggies after becoming an early enrollee.

“You never know exactly how that transition is going to go, especially with a younger guy that’s still not so much seasoned as far as a collegiate football player,” Riley said. “He’s handled it very well. We’ve been super impressed. He’s got a really, really high upside.”

Lincoln Riley compared Anthony Lucas to Tuli Tuipulotu

Tuli Tuipulotu was one of the best defenders in the country last season. He won the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year as the best defender in the Pac-12 and was a unanimous first-team All-American thanks to a 13.5-sack, 22.0-tackles-for-loss season.

Lincoln Riley said that Anthony Lucas is not at that level yet but that he sees some of Tuipulotu in Lucas’ game.

“He’s one of those guys that you feel his impact on practice just about every day,” Riley said. “That’s what great players and certainly guys that are really good and impactful defensive lineman, you feel them. Tuli was like that. Like if Tuli wasn’t in a drill, which he was always in a drill so this is probably not a very good example, you could feel that versus if he was there.

“The great ones you just kind of feel the presence. Anthony, I’m not saying he’s Tuli. I’m not saying he’s a great player, yet. He certainly got the chance to be. He keeps on the track he’s going, he’s got a chance to be very good. We’ve been thrilled with just how he’s handled it all here in the beginning and acclimated to our team and our pro and our culture.”