Lincoln Riley's USC Roster Transformation Hitting High Gear

Not long after Lincoln Riley was introduced as USC Head Football Coach on Nov. 28, we reported the Trojans would likely have 35 plus roster changes before 2022 season begins vs Rice on Sept. 6.

Within his first three months as head coach, Riley and USC landed three top-25 transfer portal prospects, according to the On3 Transfer Portal Rankings. The Trojans got former Oregon running back Travis Dye (No. 25), former Oklahoma wide receiver Mario Williams (No. 14) and the crown jewel: former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 player in the portal. Riley also got Latrell McCutchin to follow him from Oklahoma.

How did he do it? Riley explained.

“The rules are the rules,” Riley said to Colin Cowherd on The Herd. “I think there’s kind of two parts. There’s the purists, there’s the person that obviously loves football. In some ways, maybe the fan of the game in you has an idea of the way you’d like to see it go. 

“But then also, there’s the person that’s here to do a job and there’s a person that has a set of rules or parameters to work with and you’re going to do everything you can within those rules to help build your program and put it to an advantage. And so that’s what we’ve tried to do.”

To compete with the big boys and an opportunity to win National Championships, my opinion is there must be an element of “ruthlessness” present. At least when it comes to assembling college football playoff contending rosters. Just look at what Alabama’s done this offseason after Georgia defeated them 33-18 in January.

Nick Saban and Roll Tide have added CB Elias Ricks from LSU, WR Jermaine Burton from Georgia and RB Jahmyr Gibbs from Georgia Tech. It’s not like old St. Nick’s Roster was lacking in former Elite four and five star prospects, either. He’s basically had the Top Recruiting Class every year for the past decade. But winning isn’t an option for Saban and he’s doing what’s necessary to accomplish that.

Lincoln Riley hasn’t won like Saban, but his Oklahoma teams earned CFB Playoff berths three times. Riley and the Sooners also won Big-12 Conference Championships four of the five years he was head coach. Riley wasn’t hired by Mike Bohn and Brandon Sosna to win by 2024 at USC, winning in 2022 and winning big is the expectation.

“The expectation here should be to win championships every single year,” Riley said. “That’s just who we are as a staff, what we believe in and, frankly, that’s what this program should be about. I mean, this is USC.”

Although Oklahoma fans were understandably angry Riley bounced to USC and players followed him, Riley didn’t take those guys with him. It was their choice. Nobody forced them to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and head to what they believed were greener pastures in Los Angeles.

“We didn’t take players from Oklahoma,” Riley said on The Herd. “We took players from the transfer portal. Those players and their families had to make a decision to stay at that university … or to enter the portal where they could be recruited by anybody.”

Before Spring Ball began at USC on March 22, the Trojans added the three Oklahoma transfers, LB Shane Lee from Alabama, OLB Romello Height from Auburn, RB Austin Jones from Stanford, WR Brenden Rice from Colorado, CB Mekhi Blackmon from Colorado, DT Earl Barquet from TCU, RB Travis Dye from Oregon, WR Terrell Bynum from Washington, OL Bobby Haskins from Virginia and DL Tyrone Taleni from Kansas St.

Since the 2022 Spring Game at the Coliseum on April 23, USC’s added Ohio St. Safety transfer Bryson Shaw and ASU LB transfer Eric Gentry. Their additions were announced by USC Athletics on Friday.

Welcome to LA🌴🌇@EricGentry4444 #FightOn✌️ pic.twitter.com/xWgmbB6kAe

— USC Football (@USC_FB) April 29, 2022

While those additions are huge for Riley and USC, the Trojans are nowhere near done with adding transfers or commitments from the 2023 recruiting class. WeAreSC doesn’t expect announcements today (4/30), but there could be several next week.

In fact, with talented Rancho Cucamonga (CA) Safety Christian Pierce scheduled to announce his school choice on May 1, another USC commitment could happen Sunday. We submitted our USC prediction for Pierce on Feb. 24.

Big-Time Coppell (TX) Cornerback Braxton Myers is scheduled to announce his school choice on May 1. We submitted our USC prediction for Myers on April 27.

Other than Pierce possibly announcing his USC commitment tomorrow, we’re not expecting announcements from any high school players until Myers. But we’re expecting potentially several transfers announcing their commitments before May 16. Would be extremely surprising if there aren’t multiple transfer announcements from USC this week.

Eric Gentry wasn’t the only impact ASU player who’s hit the Transfer Portal this month or rumored to be entering. WR Rickey Pearsall and OL Ezra Dotson-Oyetade are already in the Portal. DL Omarr Norman-Lott and DL Jermayne Lole will reportedly enter the Portal today or next week.

One source had this to say about the situation at ASU. It provides some insight on what happens when the Transfer Portal collides with lucrative NIL Offers.

“It’s just a new game that’s being played right now and ASU can’t compete in it,” he said.

If and when Lole and Norman-Lott’s names appear in the NCAA Transfer Portal, we believe USC is the likely destination for both if the Trojans are interested. We have good reason to believe USC was planning to add depth to its Defensive Line after the Spring, so the two ASU starters would be significant additions.

We’re told Lole and Norman-Lott are extremely close and ideally would finish their college careers at the same school. Despite this situation favoring USC, Riley and staff must obviously decide to pursue. And USC can’t pursue or even contact the two until they’re actually listed officially in the Portal.

USC could also add Nebraska DL Transfer Casey Rogers, RB Bucky Irving from Minnesota and the hottest rumor is Jordan Addison from Pitt is likley entering the Portal. Addison could be the wide receiver the Trojans are looking for. Most experts believe USC will be the school to beat. We’re also told USC hopes to sign another Offensive Lineman and Defensive Back this Spring. It likley won’t end there though.

Should be a busy week ahead USC fans…..Stay Tuned!!