Why Lincoln Riley is the perfect coach to lead USC into the Big Ten

The USC Trojans will be moving to the Big Ten Conference in 2024. This is a huge move for the Trojans athletic department, especially when it comes to college football. And while a move of this magnitude might be concerning for some fans, fear not. USC has the perfect man to lead them into their new conference home in head coach Lincoln Riley.

“Is it a tougher schedule? 100 percent. But the good news is you got the right head coach to make that move with,” said On3’s J.D. PicKell on The Hard Count. “You got the right guy to lead you into 2024 in the Big Ten conference in Lincoln Riley. I say that because, one, they’re going to one recruit well.

“This narrative that Lincoln Riley just wants to use the portal is a little bit garbage. Because he had a top ten class in 2023, I bet that, in 2024, they end up with a close to top 10 class, if not within the top 10. And they’re also going to be a winner in the portal every single year. Lincoln Riley is going to use both recruiting at the high school level and the transfer portal to give his roster the best chance possible every single year.”

Riley has done a significant amount of revamping to the program courtesy of the transfer portal, but that is not the only place he’s been hard at work. In 2023 the Trojans had the ninth-best recruiting class in the nation; 38 spots ahead of last year’s ranking of 47. And currently, for the 2024 class, they are fifth in the country and only behind Ohio State in the Big Ten. But how they are doing it is particularly interesting to PicKell, as he sees a trend in the type of players Riley recruits.

“Keep an eye on how they recruit over the coming years, because I believe they’re doing it with an eye towards the Big Ten,” PicKell continued. “Look at how the 2024 class is shaping up already. About half the class is what I call trench players. Guys that are going to contribute to moving the line of scrimmage. They are recruiting those positions with a little bit of extra care.

While, on paper, recruiting offensive and defensive linemen may not be as exciting as pulling in the top skill position players across the country, it will be critical to USC’s success. With the move to the Big Ten, there is now an even greater focus on winning the battle at the line of scrimmage, as the conference is well known for its play on both the offensive and defensive lines.

“The reason why this is encouraging for USC fans is not just because it’s going to help you on the field; that’s the obvious piece of this,” PicKell said. “But what it says about Lincoln Riley the self-awareness to know that I’ve got some areas of concern here. I’ve got some pieces that I need to shore up a little bit. I’m going to go and address those where I need to address them.

“It would be easier for Lincoln Riley to just lean into his strengths and say I’m a quarterback guy. We’re going to score 40 a game. That’s how we’re going to win. He’s not just taking that approach to have the self-awareness that we need to build this thing with the USDA-approved sirloin; I think that says something. And I think it should be encouraging for USC fans that he understands where the blind spots are, and they’re working to make them points of strength when they get to the Big Ten Conference.”

The move to the Big Ten for USC is a big jump. Aside from their in-town rival, UCLA, the majority of their opponents reside on the opposite coast. Not to mention, the conference is known for a different style of play than the Pac-12. Good thing the Trojans have a talented head coach like Riley to help them navigate the waters of their new Big Ten in 2024.