Lincoln Riley pressed on poaching Oklahoma recruits to USC

Lincoln Riley’s surprise move from Oklahoma to USC shook not only the present college football landscape, but its future as well. Shortly after the formal announcement, the Sooners lost several high-profile commitments with several transfer portal entries to follow.

With widespread criticism from several Oklahoma representatives over the past week, each aspect of the USC hire has been put under a microscope. Specifically, many have pointed to the quick shift on the recruiting trail as multiple five-star prospects flipped from Oklahoma to USC in a matter of days.

USC coach Lincoln Riley addressed the controversial poaching of former Oklahoma commits during a Monday interview with Rich Eisen.

“I think that’s the nature of it,” Riley said. “Every kid has got to make their own decision. And again, that’s whether that happens before a kid goes to college or happens once a kid’s been in college and decides to make a move. That’s the nature of the game right there. So we’ve tried to have a strong respect for Oklahoma. It’s not an easy situation, we understand that. Each kid’s got to make his own decision. And at the end of the day kids are going to go where they want to go. I think we as coaches, programs have got to understand it and live with it.”

Among those to flip already are 2022 four-star wide receiver Raleek Brown, 2023 five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson and 2023 four-star wide receiver Makai Lemon. The Sooners also lost a commitment from 2022 five-star defensive tackle Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, who flipped to Texas A&M.

Lincoln Riley send message to Oklahoma fans

The departure of Lincoln Riley left many in Oklahoma shocked and upset at the sudden nature of his announcement. Riley addressed those upset fans on the Rich Eisen Show.

“I hope time will heal that,” Riley told Eisen. “I understand they’re disappointed that we left, I do, and I have a lot of love for that place. Me and my family poured our heart and soul into that place for seven years and loved every second of it.

“These things, when you leave a university, they either fire you or you leave on your own accord and neither one of them is easy,” Riley continued. “Our love for that place will never go away and we hope as time goes on that our time there will be remembered fondly and everybody remembers the great success we had together.”