How USC football recruiting has shifted in one year
Entering Wednesday’s early signing day, Lincoln Riley has only six transfers committed to the Trojans…
Adam Grosbard (OC Register) — As he walked off the Coliseum field following USC’s win over Notre Dame, head football coach Lincoln Riley had a line of people waiting for him. Not fans, not donors, not administrators waiting to congratulate him.
Scores of high school recruits and their parents and coaches awaited, taking in the scene and wondering if USC was the right school for them. Riley greeted, hugged and dapped up all that came within his view before he had to go address his team in the locker room.
A year ago, Riley was in a different position. As the new coach at USC, Riley and his staff did not have relationships with many of the top high school recruits they would like to join them in Los Angeles. Riley settled for nine high school commits, many of whom he recruited at Oklahoma, while relying primarily on the transfer portal to enhance USC’s roster.
Entering Wednesday’s early signing day, Riley has a different type of class assembled. Twenty high school seniors are committed to USC, a group that is ranked 13th nationally and first in the Pac-12 by 247Sports.com.
Some of these recruits still carry ties to Riley’s Oklahoma tenure; five-star Los Alamitos quarterback and receiver duo Malachi Nelson and Makai Lemon both flipped from the Sooners to USC after Riley’s move west. But many, like four-star offensive tackle Elijah Paige of Arizona and four-star cornerback Maliki Crawford of Oxnard are signs of new in-roads the USC staff is making on this side of the country.
And there are more possibilities, such as five-star St. John Bosco defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei, one of the recruits at the Coliseum for the Notre Dame game who will make his decision Wednesday.
But the composition of the 2023 class is of note, too.
In last year’s recruiting cycle, USC added 20 transfers compared to nine high schoolers. This cycle has been the opposite, with only six transfers currently committed to the Trojans.
There is still room for that number to grow, but with 20 scholarships allotted to incoming freshmen, it reinforces the commitment that Riley made during the February late signing period.
“I think in the future, I don’t think the goal is to rely as heavily on the transfer portal as we have right now,” Riley said 10 months ago. “We as a staff felt like this was gonna be the best way to address the things that needed to be addressed. Certainly, we would like to have much more balance with the number of players that we sign out of high school compared to the transfer portal.”
But regardless of where the new Trojans come from and their age, USC wants them to help contribute to one ultimate goal.
“I shoot it to them straight,” Williams said of his message to transfers. “I say, if you’re not coming here to focus on our team goals, don’t come. If you want to come work with a great group of guys, come on and let’s work. If you’re not here to reach our team goal in January, then don’t come join.”
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Signings as they come into USC
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We all know that Oregon with their lousy program has to be buying recruits. That and they believe Lupoi. The same with TAMU, Texas and Miami. They are buying players, they would have to be to get good names into their crappy programs.
19 signed Frosh and 6 transfers, 12 on defense and 12 on offense plus the punter. We’ll see how the work out.
Where is Jakobe Lane?
Still a hard commit on 247
He’s flipping to ASU.
Don’t need him.
Agreed. He is no where near Singer, Lemon, and Branch.
Kingston would be a huge pickup for us. He’s a stud and would most likely be our left tackle. He would start either way. If we land he and Wade, our line would be set and deeper than last year. Nobody will be Voorhees good but we could certainly be as good if not better collectively.
Update: pretty sure we just got Wade. Huge pickup. Now let’s close Kingston. Fight on
Remember how we used to talk about the “domino” effect of a coach leaving a high profile job on other schools. When Riley went to USC, that opened up OK etc. I suggest we now have a different type of “domino” effect – the NIL cash domino effect. All of this is speculation – I have no inside information. We all know that Oregon has a “Play for Pay” NIL that is funded (for all practical purposes) by Nike. That NIL must have a budget for true frosh players. So, when the five star QB Moore decommitted from OR and… Read more »
Where is the crazy tight end, qb, rb Eldridge?
Great artists chose their marble carefully. I was going to say that it doesn’t matter who Riley picks up because he can develop them as players. But I realized starting with good marble is important when creating a masterpiece.
All this philosophical do-do to say things are looking better all the time.
I think we have some serious dudes in this class. I love the way the line projects. Branch is a better athlete than we have had in a long time. He’s the kind of guy that can make a defense look really bad, like Reggie did. I also think Shelby and Curtis will get lots of snaps this year. They are just too athletic and ready to go.
Former Steelers running back Franco Harris, of ‘Immaculate Reception’ fame, dies at 72 Harris’ death (no cause announced) comes two days before the 50th anniversary of the play that provided the jolt that helped transform the Steelers from also-rans into a member of the NFL’s elite, and three days before Pittsburgh is scheduled to retire his No. 32 during a ceremony at halftime of its game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Both Harris and Lynn Swann were part of each of Pittsburgh’s 4 Super Bowl titles during the “Steel Curtain” era of the 1970s. But being Steelers legends with 4… Read more »
What work is left to be done in the transfer portal? Ryan Kartje (LAT) — “USC has wasted no time in raiding the portal again. Five transfers are already committed to USC, including the Pac-12 Conference leader in receiving yards, Arizona’s Dorian Singer, and one of the Big 12 Conference’s best-tackling linebackers, Oklahoma State’s Mason Cobb. But USC is expected to remain aggressive moving forward. “One of the top available offensive tackles on the transfer market, such as Tulsa’s Dillon Wade, would help matters upfront. “Defensive lineman Trace Ford from Oklahoma State and defensive tackle Braden Fiske from Western Michigan would… Read more »
LAT — “If Lincoln Riley pulls in Matayo Uiagalelei, he pulls in Duce Robinson, he gets the No. 1 player in Vegas [Zachariah Branch], the No. 1 player in Arizona [Robinson], the No. 1 player in California [Malachi Nelson], two more top-five players in California [Makai Lemon and Uiagalelei], I think that’s exactly what USC’s competitors feared,” said Brandon Huffman, national recruiting editor for 247Sports…”
Adding Uiagalelei could be critical, not only because plays a position of need but because he’s a blue-chip prospect in Riley’s backyard. “His ceiling is Kayvon Thibodeaux,” Huffman said. “He has all the tools.”
latimes.com
Looks like Matayo is headed to Oregon. All the recruiting services changed their CB last night like they had info. We shall see.
Hoping they are wrong.
$$$$ Truck pulled up out front from Oregon. Same old story. Sure wish USC would have enough to fight back.
Steve, collegiate football has changed big time. Riley and SC have clearly chosen NOT to play big $ to true frosh. I think that is wise. Remember, this family had a son flame out at Clemson. He got no NIL money upfront and was on the cusp of big NIL money (he did a Dr. Pepper commercial) and then faded badly, to the point where he is now going to HI and probably does not have much of a pro career in his future. So, based on that experience, they choose to take NIL $ upfront. My guess is OR… Read more »