Lincoln Riley shares where Korey Foreman can improve

USC Trojans edge rusher Korey Foreman hasn’t been utilized the way many believed he would since arriving on campus before last season. With a year and a half under his belt at the college level, the potential for him to become the star everyone believes he can be is still there.

Foreman, the former On3 Consensus No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2022, has continued to work to get better and stay healthy, and Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley is taking notice. He’s not there yet, though, according to Riley.

“The number one thing that he’s done up to this point is that he’s stayed on the field,” Riley said Thursday. “He’s been able to continue to practice and get better and get reps and get more comfortable with what we’re asking that position (EDGE) to do.

“The thing we’re looking for in all of our guys, including Korey, is consistency. His good is outstanding and he’s got to go out there, trust it and play more consistent. He’s certainly one of many guys we look at right now and say, ‘what a great time for him to really break through.’ I feel like we have a lot of guys that have done a lot of good things on the practice field ready to take that next step and go earn a lot of reps on Saturdays.”

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

Foreman arrived at USC last season as the No. 1 player in the country, per the On3 Consensus, but didn’t exactly make an immediate, game-changing impact in his first season and would finish his true freshman season having played in 11 games, with 11 tackles, including 2.5 sacks. This season, he’s totaled just eight total tackles.

Missing two games this season (Oregon State, Utah), Foreman has productive statistically in a limited capacity regardless of status. Still a true sophomore, there’s certainly time to turn his fortunes around – and the transfer portal is always an option.

While the stats aren’t there on paper, Foreman is still a force to be reckoned with in the trenches. Through Week 7, Foreman ranks as PFF’s No. 7 EDGE defender in the country with a grade of 75.0, meaning he’s still an incredibly vital part of the Trojans’ defensive efforts.