JD PicKell: USC has regained attention from fanbase

USC is one of the most historic brand names in all of college football, but obviously last season there wasn’t much to cheer for as the Trojan’s finished 4-8. On3’s JD PicKell spoke on The Hard Count with JD PicKell about the state of the Trojan fan base at the moment.

“The pulse of the fanbase is a little bit unique, because as you know in LA there is no shortage of options for things that can have your attention,” PicKell said. “I mean Hollywood’s right there. There is a number of beautiful beaches that you can spend your time at, and so the feeling within the fanbase for the first time in a minute is you have our attention. Because like I just mentioned, there has been season after season recently, since Sam Darnold was playing quarterback there, of disappointment of USC Trojan fans.”

PicKell went on to discuss more how the USC geography and location in one of the biggest cities in America impact the Trojan’s football fan culture.

“There hasn’t really been a strong reason for these fans to buy a ticket and go to the LA Coliseum. And it’s unfortunate. It’s sad because that’s a beautiful venue LA and USC is one of the storied programs in all of college football. It deserves probably a little more juice than it gets, but just by nature, location — it isn’t always going to be at the top of your list for what you want to do on a Saturday afternoon. If USC’s missing a bowl game you’re not going to watch the Trojans play, it’s just the fact of the matter,” PicKell said.

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But the tides seem to be turning in Los Angeles, as some new exciting players and coaches may give Trojan fans not only an exciting watch, but potentially a winning team to cheer for.

“But now with one of the best offensive minds in all of college football, he’s your head coach. One of the most exciting [and] for my money just straight up physically talented player in the country in Caleb Williams at quarterback and then the best wide receiver in Jordan Addison playing receiver, I mean those three ingredients in themselves makes it worth the price of admission. And so the fanbase now is saying okay, we’re watching, like now we’re excited to see what you do. We’re bought in. You have our attention,” PicKell said.

Having one of college’s premier coaches in Lincoln Riley at the helm helps the Trojans significantly, as can be seen through their recent transfer portal pickups. But with the rise of NIL, Los Angeles could be a prime spot for recruits that want to grow their own personal brand as the area alone could provide many resources and opportunities that other schools simply cannot. Plus USC’s move to the Big Ten conference in 2024 will allow them to play the top competition in college football on the biggest stage.

The way the college football landscape is changing could strongly favor USC in the next couple years, and give Trojan fans not only a team that grabs their attention but one that could show shades of their glory days in the early 2000s.