He practically glowed with excitement as he launched into a nearly four-minute opening statement following the first practice of fall camp that reporters were able to observe, but not report on.

“These first few days in here have honestly been a little bit of a dream,” he told reporters. “It’s honestly been hard to get players to go home. I haven’t left this place in five days. I haven’t left the compound.”

At the start of his fifth fall camp at USC, Riley found himself enamored with all that felt new around him. Namely the state-of-the-art, $200-million facility towering over one end of the Trojans’ practice field, with all the luxuries any football coach could ask for.

“This building is magical,” Riley said.

“The response from the players and staff when they were able to first come in here was powerful. This is a significant, significant step for our program and relative to what we all can do in this building. I think relative to showing off the proud history we have here as USC Trojans and all that’s happened and come before us.

“The difference in how we operate on a day-to-day basis from what we’ve done here for the last several years, it’s hard to explain how different it is, how fantastic it is. The job that was done on this building is really fabulous. I give the university credit. You could say or promise that you’re going to build a facility and then you could halfway do it.”

The optimism that sprouted when the Trojans signed the No. 1 recruiting class of 2026 in December is rolling into fall camp, and was evident Saturday on the eve of the first day of practice in pads.

The Trojans have bypassed the settling-in period that typically happens on the scorching-hot turf of August.

“We’ve been able to identify some leaders early,” Riley said. “I think you’re starting to maybe identify the personality of this team a little bit earlier with all we’ve done and kind of feeling like they’re here, and you’re not waiting on this missing piece to show up, and then it shows up, and then you figure it out.”

It’s all but given that some freshmen, with 35 on the roster, will get significant playing time this season. Their early arrival on campus has them ahead of schedule in terms of team chemistry and ability, and allowed the coaching staff to dig into more aggressive training and installations.

“The first time you go to college, everything’s new, right? Doesn’t matter if you’re playing sports or not. And so the less that we can have ‘new’ as we go on, the more these guys settle in off the field on the field, the better they play.”

Riley didn’t name any specific freshmen who stood out, but did mention a transfer and two returners who could have breakout seasons: Wisconsin transfer tight end Tucker Ashcroft (6-5, 260, left), receiver Zacharyus Williams and cornerback Alex Graham.

Construction crews are on site to put the finishing touches on the Bloom Center, which has a completion date of late summer. Lettering and plaques are being added inside as well as outside, and construction crews in hard hats hover on the sidewalks.

On the field, everything seems to be coming together.

“You’re talking about some powerful moments, man, with these guys all here together,” Riley said. “That part felt different, because you just know there’s not anything else coming. We got what we got. And here we go.”

The world-class facility gives USC players a new space to train, prepare, recover and continue building team chemistry and brotherhood. It features multi-level lounges, both indoor and outdoor. The weight room has a seamless transition to a pair of full length practice fields, one turf and one grass.

The locker room has direct access to hydrotherapy and recovery pools. There is a sports medicine suite with an adjoining cooldown pool, a two-story team meeting room and 12 position-specific meeting rooms. The staff has office spaces that provide views of the outdoor terrace and practice fields.

It will certainly catch the attention of recruits as the Trojans have their eyes set on continuing their recruiting surge in the 2028 class, especially in Southern California.

Tanook Hines limited

Sophomore Tanook Hines, who is the only receiver from the two-deep depth chart to return this season, is physically limited due to an undisclosed, “not overly serious” injury requiring an off-season procedure, but Riley said he expects him to be ready to go for USC’s season opener against San Jose State on Aug. 29.

But Hines’ absence leaves the Trojans with a totally new and unproven group to catch passes; many of them are getting their first experience of college football, and of QB Jayden Maiava, who could just be the key to this Trojan season, and all the high hopes that come with it.

“A lot of new bodies. Fortunately he had spring and all summer with all these guys to start developing that chemistry and that confidence,” Riley said of Maiava. “But that’s going to be something we have to work at every single day.”

Hines is currently the most limited player, Riley said, but he’s still working out.

Freshman receiver Roderick Tezeno underwent a procedure after a foot injury sustained in spring but is expected to be back early in fall.

Otherwise, the roster is healthy, including former Iowa State cornerback Jontez Williams and returning cornerbacks Prophet Brown and Chasen Johnson.

Brown missed all of last season due to a non-contact injury in fall camp and Johnson played in only two games due to a knee injury. Williams, who was rated the No. 1 cornerback in the transfer portal, played in five games before sustaining a knee injury.

Freshmen wideouts Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt already made a strong impression and should immediately step into roles on offense. Tron Baker is another who presumably could carve out a place. And joining them this week at practice, after just enrolling this summer, is a freshman wideout who some believe will be the best of the bunch, top-60 recruit Boobie Feaster.

It may take Feaster time to get up to speed. Hines stepped into a similar position last season, having just arrived on campus for the summer. He proceeded to start eight games anyway.

But Hines was 19 years old by the start of his freshman season. Feaster just turned 17 in late May — and presumably would be one of the youngest players ever to suit up for USC.

Receiver isn’t the only position at which the Trojans are trending young. USC should get key contributions out of freshmen at tight end (five-star Mark Bowman), on the defensive line (five-star Luke Wafle), in the secondary and, at some point, on the offensive line.

Keeping a healthy cornerback room will also be critical to building a unit under new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson that will be capable of competing in the Big Ten Conference.

“Sometimes guys who have been out for a while have an injury like those two had, and you see a little bit of mental hesitation,” Riley said. “And these guys are chomping at it. We’re having to hold them back a little bit, which you like to see.”

latimes.com / ocregister.com

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