Lincoln Riley names starting running back, sees opportunity for others

Lincoln Riley’s first year as USC’s head coach, when the Trojans averaged 41.8 points per game and generational quarterback Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy, he had two running backs carry the ball 135 or more times.

While the Trojans might not pop offensively quite like they did in 2022, they should feature another 1-2 punch in the backfield that’s led by a dynamic transfer, perhaps providing a two-way spark this season that’s similar to the one Oregon-turned-USC star Travis Dye ignited two years ago.

That’s Woody Marks, a Mississippi State transfer Riley named as the starting running back Tuesday.

“It’s always the toughest one to evaluate because you’re not going a million live snaps, and that’s one of those positions, it’s a little tough to eval when it’s not straight live,” Riley said, when asked about his evaluation of USC’s running back rotation.

“But I think Woody asserted himself as the starter.”

Marks arrived at USC this offseason after spending four seasons at Mississippi State, where he totaled 3,108 scrimmage yards and 27 touchdowns. He saw significant action, both in the run and pass game, from the jump. In fact, each of his first three seasons with the Bulldogs, he posted 300-plus rushing yards and 260-plus receiving yards. Actually, he even notched more receiving yards (502) than rushing yards (416) in 2021.

Last year, Marks averaged a career-high 63.7 rushing yards per game, but he played in only nine games. He could be in for a breakout with the Trojans.

Next up is redshirt freshman Quinten Joyner, a former four-star prospect and the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 13 running back in the 2023 class.

“Quinten is certainly firmly in the mix and will certainly get an opportunity to play a bunch,” Riley said. “And we like the other two quite a bit. I can absolutely see a scenario for both A’Marion [Peterson] and Bryan Jackson contributing majorly to this team. We feel very good about those four. We feel like we have four contributors. And we know, if history is any indication, we’re going to need them all at some point.

“But right now Woody and Quinten have, at least at this point, separated themselves as the 1 and 2.”

USC has only four running backs listed on its 2024 roster, however, Riley is confident in all of them getting on the field in some capacity this season. Peterson is a redshirt freshman, whereas Jackson is a true freshman. They clocked out as the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 27 and No. 51 running backs in the 2023 and 2024 cycles, respectively.

The Trojans dropped from 53rd to 92nd in rushing offense between 2022 and 2023. They’re looking to achieve greater offensive balance in 2024, and that starts with Marks, who can do damage as a runner and as a receiver.