USC, UCLA remade their rosters thanks to the transfer portal

The biggest game of the weekend is No. 7 USC at No. 16 UCLA, and both coaches involved gave a master class on how to use the transfer portal in the offseason.

USC’s Lincoln Riley used transfers to help rebuild a roster that was devoid of talent in certain areas. UCLA’s Chip Kelly used transfers to supplement a roster that was devoid of talent in certain areas. The rosters were “devoid of talent in certain areas” for different reasons, certainly, but that doesn’t change that both coaches did a masterful job during the offseason.

As a new coach, Riley went to the portal in an attempt to rev up his offense and fill holes on his defense. Fourteen transfers (one already was on the roster when Riley arrives) have started at various times for the Trojans this season, and nine are expected to start Saturday against the Bruins.

Kelly, on the other hand, is in his fifth season at UCLA, and recruiting shortcomings led to him hitting the portal especially hard on defense. Thirteen transfers have started at various times for the Bruins this season, and eight are expected to start Saturday against the Trojans.

To go a little deeper: USC’s starting quarterback, top three rushers (including the quarterback) and top four receivers are transfers. In addition, the Trojans’ leading tackler and best defensive back are transfers. UCLA’s leading rusher and receiver, the top two sack men and the leader in pass breakups are transfers. The No. 2 tackler is a transfer. Three players are tied for the team lead in interceptions, and two are transfers (one also is the No. 2 tackler).

In short, the teams wouldn’t be a combined 17-3 if it weren’t for the transfer portal. Let’s take a look at the key transfers for each team; those with an asterisk are expected to start Saturday. And this is not a complete list of the transfers who will play, just the ones we think are “key.”

Key UCLA transfers

+ WR Jake Bobo*: Bobo transferred from Duke in the offseason. He was the Blue Devils’ leading receiver last season with 74 receptions (though just one TD). Bobo isn’t going to catch that many this season, but he is UCLA’s top receiver (43 catches, 651 yards, six TDs) and is much more of a big-play threat than he was with the Blue Devils.

+ WR Kam Brown*: He transferred from Texas A&M after the 2020 season. Brown has 16 receptions (fourth on the team) and is second on the Bruins with three TD catches.

+ RB Zach Charbonnet*: Charbonnet transferred from Michigan after the 2020 season. He is the Pac-12’s leading rusher (143.1 yards per game, third nationally) and also is third on the Bruins with 29 receptions. He has 13 rushing TDs, which is tied for eighth nationally. Charbonnet has a legit chance to finish in the top 10 in school history in career rushing yards. In addition, he is on pace to finish with 1,860 yards in 13 games, which would set a school single-season record.

+ CB Jaylin Davies: He transferred from Oregon after last season. Davies started last week but normally is a backup. He is tied for the team lead with two interceptions and also has 24 tackles.

+ CB Azizi Hearn: Hearn transferred in the offseason from Wyoming, where he was a three-year starter. He has started four times this season and has 29 tackles and a team-high five pass breakups.

+ EDGE Laiatu Latu: He transferred from Washington after last season. That was a surprise of sorts because in April 2021, it was announced Latu was giving up football for medical reasons (he had missed the 2020 season because of a neck injury). But he has given it another go, and has eight sacks (second in the Pac-12) and three forced fumbles.

+ LB Darius Muasau*: Muasau transferred from Hawaii in the offseason; he had been a two-time first-team All-Mountain West performer. He is second on the Bruins in tackles with 67 and tied for the team lead with two interceptions.

+ The EDGE-playing Murphy twins: Gabriel and Grayson Murphy transferred from North Texas in the offseason. Grayson, who is a reserve, has five sacks and nine tackles for loss. Gabriel, a starter, has 29 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.

+ OT Raiqwon O’Neal*: He transferred from Rutgers in the offseason. O’Neal was a two-year starter for Rutgers and moved seamlessly into the starting lineup at left tackle for the Bruins. He is one of four upperclass starters along the line for UCLA, which is second in the Pac-12 (behind Oregon) and fifth nationally in total offense.

+ DT Gary Smith: Smith transferred from Duke in the offseason. He has started the past three games but is listed as a backup on this week’s depth chart. Smith plays because of his run-stuffing ability, but at times he has shown some inside push on pass plays, including while at Duke.

+ DT Jacob Sykes*: Sykes transferred from Harvard in the offseason. He has started four times this season and is listed as the starter on this week’s depth chart. As with Smith and Jay Toia (more on him in a second), he clogs the middle against the run

+ DT Jay Toia*: Toia is a USC transfer. He signed with the Trojans in December 2020, then enrolled and went through spring ball at USC. He left after spring, though, and transferred to UCLA. Toia is a space-eater and has helped UCLA limit opponents to 125.0 rushing yards per game.

Key USC transfers

+ WR Jordan Addison*: Addison transferred from Pitt in the offseason and was one of the jewels in the portal. He hasn’t been near as productive as he was at Pitt (he had 100 receptions for 1,593 yards and 17 TDs last season), but still leads the Trojans with 40 receptions, 587 yards and seven TDs. He has missed two games with a leg injury and saw scant time in last week’s rout of Colorado.

+ CB Mekhi Blackmon*: He transferred from Colorado in the offseason and immediately became a starter. Blackmon is fourth on the team with 42 tackles, second with two picks and leads with nine pass breakups. (An aside: Blackmon is one of three former Colorado DBs starting for top-12 teams. S Mark Perry is TCU’s second-leading tackler, and CB Christian Gonzalez is arguably Oregon’s best defensive back.)

+ EDGE Solomon Byrd: Byrd transferred from Wyoming in the offseason. He has started four games and has six tackles for loss and three sacks. Byrd and UCLA’s Hearn were teammates at Wyoming.

+ LB Eric Gentry: He transferred from Arizona State in the offseason. Gentry started the first seven games of the season, making 53 tackles, but has missed the past three with an ankle injury. Riley said he hopes Gentry can play this week; his return certainly would be a boon against UCLA’s high-powered offense.

+ OT Bobby Haskins: He transferred from Virginia in the offseason. Haskins has started six games at left tackle; he didn’t start in the past two games, and even if he doesn’t start Saturday, he still will play.

+ RB Austin Jones*: He transferred from Stanford in the offseason. Jones is expected to start Saturday because of the season-ending injury suffered last week by leading rusher Travis Dye (an Oregon transfer). Jones has just 52 carries on the season, including only 23 in the past six games. But he had some heavy-workload games while at Stanford and is a solid receiver.

+ LB Shane Lee*: He transferred from Alabama in the offseason. Lee is an old-school thumper and has brought some physicality to USC’s defense. He has started eight games and leads the Trojans with 56 tackles. Lee also has a pick and 5.5 tackles for loss.

+ WR Brenden Rice*: He transferred from Colorado in the offseason and has been a solid complementary receiver. Rice has started every game and is third on the Trojans with 26 receptions; he has two TD catches and they have come in the past three games.

+ S Bryson Shaw*: Shaw transferred from Ohio State in the offseason. He has started the past two games, though Max Williams – who has been banged up – may reclaim his starting job against the Bruins. Shaw has 26 tackles, an interception and two pass breakups.

+ DL Tyrone Taleni*: He transferred from Kansas State in the offseason and has played a bigger role than expected. Taleni has started the past five games and has 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.

+ WR Tahj Washington*: Washington transferred from Memphis after the 2020 season. He has started seven games this season and is second on the team with 33 receptions and with four TDs. Washington was second on the team in receptions last season, behind first-round pick Drake London.

+ QB Caleb Williams*: Williams transferred from Oklahoma shortly after Riley was named coach. He is a leading Heisman contender: He is averaging 329.3 yards of total offense per game and has accounted for 37 TDs.

+ WR Mario Williams: He, too, followed Riley from Oklahoma. Williams started the first seven games but has missed the past two with an undisclosed injury. His status for this week is up in the air. He is tied for third on the team with 26 receptions, for 493 yards and four touchdowns.