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Lincoln Riley provides thoughts on flurry of transfer portal entries

Erik-McKinneyby:Erik McKinney•12/19/23•

ErikTMcKinney

lincoln riley
USC head coach Lincoln Riley on the sidelines as his Trojans take on the Colorado Buffaloes (acscottphotography/WeAreSC)

USC was hit by three big-name transfer portal entries on Monday. All were high-profile recruits in the 2022 and 2023 recruiting classes and all generated news when their decisions were announced. The Trojans saw 2022 Five-Star Plus+ cornerback Domani Jackson, 2023 Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Malachi Nelson and 2023 four-star linebacker Tackett Curtis all officially enter the NCAA transfer portal on Monday. Head coach Lincoln Riley spoke indirectly about the departures following Monday’s football practice.

Jackson played extensively this season and Curtis began the year as a starting linebacker. Nelson did not play much as he settled in as the No. 3 quarterback. In years before the portal, all three would enter the offseason looking like key pieces of future USC rosters. Now, they’re part of nearly 1,800 players who have entered the transfer portal this year.

Riley, a longtime quarterback coach, said all coaches have great memories of seeing young players develop and get better throughout their career. The easy accessibility of the transfer portal can eliminate so many of those. Riley said the purest in him doesn’t know if it’s great for college football. But he also understands what the rules allow for and that every program is dealing with constant departures.

“It’s just part of the world of college football at this current time,” Riley said.

Riley didn’t speak to what went into the individual decisions made by those three players.

“At the end of the day, you gotta respect it, you got to have the conversations, and then you go,” Riley said.

The focus moving forward for Riley and his coaching staff will always be on the players suiting up in cardinal and gold.

“Having people that are dying to be here at USC, that are dying to be USC Trojans is first and foremost,” Riley said. “My energy goes into the people that are here. No bad blood, no ill will to anybody that’s not. But we’re gonna move on with those that are dying to be USC Trojans. Because at the end of the day, that’s the only way the history here turns around. That’s the only way some of the struggles in this program over the last 15 years turn around. It’s gonna be with people that are dying to be here and that are passionate about this place. Because if not, you’re going to have this constant back-and-forth, sometimes in, sometimes not. And a lot of times, that’s where mediocrity comes from in the first place. So we’re identifying the ones that want to be here, want to do it. And the ones that don’t, we certainly wish them the best.”

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Garry Paskwietz (1966-2019)

Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

Garry Paskwietz