USC Hires Trumain Carroll as New Director of Football Sports Performance
Trumain Carroll/Kansas State Athletics
Numerous News Sources — A week after suddenly dismissing Director of Football Sports Performance Bennie Wylie (one of Lincoln Riley’s first staff hires), USC announced its new head strength coach and hired uber-experienced Trumain Carroll.
Carroll leaves the same role he occupied at Kansas State since 2021.
In announcing the hire on Twitter/X, USC headlined it “a new era of physicality” for the program.
“Coach Carroll is an accomplished strength and conditioning professional who has consistently trained his teams to compete at the highest level,” Riley said in a statement. “His ability to develop players with an emphasis on a strong team culture has been evident throughout his career. He will have a tremendous impact on our program. We’re excited to welcome Trumain and his family to USC.”
Carroll played defensive end for Oklahoma State from 2001 through 2005 and then served two terms as an assistant strength coach for the Cowboys, the first ranging from 2006 through 2008. He served as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at the University of Missouri-Kansas City from 2008 to 2011. Carroll was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at South Carolina State from 2011 to 2012 before returning to Oklahoma State for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Carroll then moved from SMU to Arkansas to South Florida before spending the past four years at K-State.
Throughout Carroll’s time in Manhattan, Kan., the Wildcats recorded a combined 36-17 record, collected three bowl victories and the 2022 Big 12 title, K-State was one of only five Power 4 teams to win at least nine games in each of the last three seasons with at least one conference championship in that timeframe.
The Wildcats have had 10 players selected over the past three NFL Drafts, which is the most Kansas State has produced in a three-year run since the 2002-2004 drafts.
At the most recent NFL combine, Kansas State cornerback Jacob Parrish and safety Marques Sigle ran 4.35 and 4.37 40-yard dashes, respectively. Both ranked among the top 15 overall players in attendance. Parrish tied for the third-best vertical leap among cornerbacks. Sigle finished No. 4 among safeties. Parrish posted the No. 4 broad jump number among corners and Sigle was No. 2 for safeties. Parrish became a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while Sigle went in the 5th round to the San Francisco 49ers.
According to the Kansas State website, Carroll was well-recognized as an integral part of the program’s ability to change the culture over the past four seasons and embedding their four core values of Commitment, Toughness, Discipline, and Selflessness.
Following two straight disappointing seasons, Riley and the Trojans are seeking to install a culture of elevated toughness and 4th quarter performance as they seek to finish much better in the Big Ten this season, and Carroll will be tasked with helping them get there.
Carroll earned his bachelor’s degree in university studies from Oklahoma State in December 2005. During his five year playing career as a defensive end in Stillwater, Carroll helped lead the Cowboys to three consecutive bowl berths.
There were reports that the Trojans had heavily pursued Indiana’s Derek Ownings, but he opted to stay with the Hoosiers after receiving a big pay raise from Curt Cignetti.
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Xavier Griffin (6-3, 200) is expected to take several official visits this summer, most notably to Tuscaloosa on June 6th. He will join the likes of fellow 5-Star Jireh Edwards as well as several other notable top talents in the 2026 recruiting class. Hailing from Gainesville (GA), Griffin is ranked by 247Sports’ composite ranking as the No. 2 LB in the nation and the No. 2 player in the Peach State. He had been committed to the Trojans since July of 2024. Publicly, Griffin was telling people that he was extremely solid with USC. However, behind the scenes, Griffin was taking… Read more »
Big Ten Football: Win Total Projections Released for Every Team It’s officially projection season in college football. FanDuel just released its over/under win projections for every Big Ten team entering 2025. 2025 B1G over/under win projections Ohio State Buckeyes — 10.5 wins Oregon Ducks — 10.5 wins (Sat, Nov. 22, Eugene) Penn State Nittany Lions — 10.5 wins Indiana Hoosiers — 8.5 wins Michigan Wolverines — 8.5 wins (Sat, Oct. 11, L.A.) Illinois Fighting Illini — 7.5 wins (Sat, Sept. 27, Champaign) Iowa Hawkeyes — 7.5 wins (Sat, Nov. 15, L.A.) Nebraska Cornhuskers — 7.5 wins (Sat, Nov. 1, Lincoln)… Read more »
Still not a good projection for a 12 game season assuming they are including all games and USC should beat their first two opponents, the prediction says only 5 wins in ten meaningful games. I wonder what would happen if USC loses to Georgia Southern? Would that be the final nail in Riley’s coffin? Also since we lost 3 or 4 games due to stubborn coaching (one game was given to the opponent because the referee couldn’t see if they had scored) will the same stupidity lead to the end of Riley?
I think a 7.5 projection is low because once again, I have bought into the Trojan summer Kool-Aid. I believe Riley’s downgraded rep is responsible for USC being shortchanged by the national CFB press. But it seems to me like this 2025 Trojan team is going to have a lot of fire in its belly. The program has been abused on the field and in the press over the last two years, but this current Trojan team has so many new faces amongst staff, support and players, that I think my Kool-Aid indulgence should be forgiven. A lot will come… Read more »
You are expecting a major 360 degree pivot (😉) for Mr LR. It’s bad enough when opposing coaches know what you are going to do but when they admit it in public you know the play calling is bad. Now maybe the stress of all his responsibilities last year was clouding his ability to function as a coach. Like Trump, I hope LR succeeds as well. But for now, I am in the wait and see crowd for the both of them.
LR’s back is so far against the wall, I expect him to rely on the running game more. Our weakness has now become offense. We have no proven QB set up to guide USC right now. We have a question mark and a true 5-star frosh unknown. Now’s the perfect time to back off the Air Raid and learn how to control the clock and mix up the play calling. This Trojan team has a very interesting mix of talent on both sides of the ball. We aren’t deep, but if we get lucky with injuries, I can’t help but… Read more »
Ya, Maieva’s a mystery to me too, but I haven’t totally given up on him.
Riley is the QB Whisperer, right? He should be able to make at least one of them a strong performer. I’m counting on it, or it will be a long year. It would be shame to waste our superior WR talent too.
USC’s renewed and dedicated interest in big-time local recruits continues to pay off under GM Chad Bowden
Greg Biggins of 247Sports says Williams has a shot at becoming the next great college football player from talent hotbed Junipero Serra.
“One of the nation’s top defensive back prospects and on the short list when talking about the top overall corner in the ’27 class…already been compared to former Cavalier greats Robert Woods and Adoree Jackson, who were also two-way players and standouts in track as well as football,” Biggins said.
ESPN Ranks the offseason for every Power 4 college football team Eli Lederman, Max Olson, Bill Connelly and Adam Rittenberg — The college football offseason used to feature slight to moderate turbulence from December to February, followed by a period of calm. Not anymore. The offseason comes in waves, upending rosters and coaching staffs, sometimes more than once, before things settle down. Every team must be prepared to minimize losses and make significant gains. Those who succeed can make history. Those who fail can also make history. Just look at IU and FSU in 2024. Certain teams had more players… Read more »
Cover 3 Podcast host Chip Patterson believes USC can make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. Connor Morrissette (USCFootball.com) — While USC football hasn’t featured in many post-spring top 25 rankings/predictions, one analyst gave the Trojans some major love this week. Speaking on the Cover 3 Podcast, host Chip Patterson picked USC to make the College Football Playoff during a Big Ten bold predictions segment. Patterson and the Cover 3 crew mentioned how USC was competitive in all of their losses last season, brought in new strength coach Trumain Carroll and has two really good receivers in Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon. The… Read more »
I’am thrilled to hear that Riley believes that every part of the USC program has to be excellent. If it is not championship level or not trending quickly that way, it needs to be fixed. Hopefully, that attitude will be applied to every level of the program……from top to bottom. 😉
Including the playcalling!
Chow, Sark & Kiffin had the ability to call the right plays at the right times in outduelling the opponent’s DC. I have yet to see Riley master that ability in picking the DC’s brain on a consistent basis these last 2-seasons. Of course when the going gets tough and all you call are pass plays, you give that DC an advantage in picking your brain?
The USC at ND game on Sat, Oct. 18, will kick off at 4:30 PT and air live on NBC.
The Trojans are looking to reverse another dismal trend vs the Irish. USC is just 3-7 over the last 10 games and an embarrassing 1-6 over the last seven.
Local 2026 LB Taylor Johnson commits to USC Chris Trevino (USCFootball.com) — USC football added a Monday commitment (less than a week after USC offered) from 2026 San Bernardino Cajon LB Taylor Johnson. Johnson (6-1, 200, unranked now, projects as 3-star) is the third LB prospect in the class and the 17th commitment from California. Johnson is the 28th commitment in USC’s No. 1 2026 recruiting class. He is the second consecutive commitment after the Trojans added four-star 2026 Santa Ana Mater Dei LB Shaun Scott on Sunday. He’s also the 10th commitment for the Trojans in the defensive front seven. “Coach Rob… Read more »
This new LB(Taylor Johnson) could be a big time sleeper. He certainly is productive. I hope he doesn’t turn out like Garrison Madden who was supposed to be a hard hitting sideline to sideline LB who so far has been a bust.
For every bust there’s a sleeper, or something like that. If USC’s current staff decides to offer a guy, I’m just plain old good with it.
Hope has been restored to USC recruiting across the board IMO due to the complete staff reorganization, and redirection towards the best prospects in Calif again, led by the insertion of the nation’s #1 CFB GM, Chad Bowden.
Wouldn’t that be nice! Here’s what Groots’ coach, Rollo, said about him: “He was one of the most instinctive, competitive, focused kids I’ve ever been around,” Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said of the two-time CIF Southern Section Division I Defensive Player of the Year. “Anyone who knows anything about Matt Grootegoed knows everything he did when he was here, he did 110%. There’s no doubt that Matt Grootegoed is considered one of the top five players in the history of Mater Dei football and that’s saying a lot. He basically has legendary status around here. There’s not a week… Read more »
In HS & college Groots had enough ability to do what he did. His size & speed prevented his success on the next level unfortunately. Would have been interesting to see how he would handle playing in the Big Ten.
Groots is one of my favorite USC players ever, so I admittedly can’t be objective about him. I would always give a thumbs up to Groots. He also gave me the privilege of breaking his USC commitment to the public in general and the recruiting world because of a promise Rollo made to me. That meant a lot to me as “breaking commitments” (via 900 lines, SuperFax reports, radio shows, online, or otherwise) used to be a much bigger deal than it is today, and I had been watching him closely for two years — and was often stupefied by… Read more »
USC CB coach Trovon Reed on super Trojan football GM Chad Bowden Reed — “We have the best GM in America. I don’t think it’s close. I’ve been around a lot. I’ve seen a lot. We have the best GM in America. “So I don’t think it’s ever been a day where I had to go to him and show him a kid. He knows. Having guys like him and Dre (Brown, asst GM) and Wes (Zernechel, Dir of Recruiting) and those guys in the room, they make it somewhat easy for us. They on it. “That’s what having a… Read more »
The pressure’s certainly on. That’s what the CFB world is also shouting about Mike Gundy (OKS), Mike Norvell (FSU), Luke Fickell (WIS, we dodged that bullet for sure) and LR’s underachieving replacement, Brent Venables at OU. Here’s John Buhler’s (fansided.com) attacks on both Venables and Riley: Buhler — If not for Joe Castiglione giving him a massive contract extension, why is Brent Venables still the head coach at Oklahoma? Three years in and all I know he is not the next Bob Stoops, Barry Switzer or Bud Wilkinson in Norman. While Venables did land John Mateer in the transfer portal,… Read more »
I am sure there are still a few hanging around. I am not sure USC is really all the way back. 2025 could still be a challenge where 2026 and beyond seem to be really looking like they could be back. I think they will be pretty good in 2025, and much better in 2026.
It’s evident that yes, we actually now have someone in the program that is the “best in the business” so to speak. I realize Bowden is in his first year, but I’m praying Jen gets ahead of this and restructures his contract to keep him here and fight off the poachers. Show how much we appreciate his talent. The new CFB era has put a spotlight on the GM position for so many reasons. Should LR leave in the near future, wouldn’t it be nice to have our GM still in the program as a selling point to grab a… Read more »
WR Kohen Brown wants to officially visit other schools and decommits from USC Scott Schrader (WeAreSC) — Three-star Waxahachie (TX) WR Kohen Brown (6-0, 180, 10.69 100m) announced his decommitent from USC on Friday. Brown committed to USC on April 2, less than a week after a very impactful first visit to L.A. Although most of the USC commits have shut down their recruitment and canceled all official visits to other schools, Brown intends to take official visits in June. Since the arrival of new GM Chad Bowden, getting top targets committed quickly has been a huge priority. Another priority now is not having… Read more »
With Chad Bowden and his elite recruiting staff in charge now, I’m not worried about USC bringing in superior talent anymore.
For a school with USC’s outstanding wide receiver pedigree, they’re a dime a dozen. I wouldn’t say that about any other position group, but WRs generally flock to USC like it’s a receiver’s mecca.
How great is that?! USC has been O-line U at times as well, especially back in the day of Hudson Houck (’76-82, and a former USC OC himself, on the ’62 NC team).
Houck helped send numerous Trojans All-Americans to the NFL including Marvin Powell, Pat Howell, Brad Budde, Anthony Munoz, Keith Van Horne, Chris Foote, Roy Foster, Bruce Matthews, Don Mosebar, and Tony Slaton.
Heard from a good source that will all the attention Brown is getting, he told the SC coaches he was going to continue taking official visits. SC’s response was, if that is the way it is going to be, you need to publicly de commit, because if you are not all in, this won’t end well. Like you said Allen, USC recruiting elite receivers shouldn’t be too hard.
Remember all the torturous fiddle-faddling with Georgia QB Julian Lewis (now at CU) who tried to play every end against the middle (USC), before USC finally cut bait late for local 5-star Husan Longstreet. I like Chad Bowden’s refreshing and smart new commitment policy which emphasizes loyalty and dedication to USC’s program. USC is certainly feeling its oats lately with these new high-powered and experienced staff additions in charge. It’s about time the Trojans got a little bit of swag back. Now all we need is a 2025 playoff-bound team as USC sneaks up on a CFB world that has… Read more »
Chris Petersen was like that when he was at Washington. He had a rule that said that if you were committed to Washington you could no longer take trips to other schools.
It’s really too bad Pat Haden couldn’t convince Petersen to take the USC job back in 2014. Sark came instead and he blew up at USC with the bottle. Just bizarre.
Now Petersen’s been out of the biz for five years, Sark has come back big time at TEXAS, and USC looks to be on the verge (to me at least) of finally, and realistically, playing with the big boys again.
The way I heard the story is that Haden went out of his way to convince Peterson that he just didn’t fit in at USC. He took the Washington job instead and the next season Washington beat USC.After the game was over he was interviewed by a sideline reporter who asked him about the difference between coaching at SC and Washington and he said “it’s all about”fit”. He was being sarcastic.
I am convinced beyond a reasonable doubt Lynn Swann was hired specifically to follow strict orders of what Nikias told him to do as AD. And that was to keep the football program under rapts in slowly dying away to where nobody cared about it anymore. If it wasn’t for his shameful record of trusting the wrong people in positions of authority that got him removed, there is no telling what the football program would be today.
Lynn Swann introduced as USC athletic director; outgoing AD Pat Haden skipped the event at the McKay Center
Nikias revealed later that Haden, who backed Steve Lopes for his replacement, wasn’t informed of Swann’s hiring until about five minutes before USC announced the move.
“Neither Pat nor any of the members of the Board of Trustees were involved in this search,” Nikias said. “And that was the right thing to do.”
Swann’s famous last words: “USC should expect to win national championships, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
The questions are who wanted Wylie fired and who wanted and hired Carroll? My guess is it was Bowden at work. Am I wrong to suspect that LR is increasingly marginalized and isolated? Oh and the “new era of physicality” (hate that word), I thought last year was a “new era of physicality”. How much effect will Carroll have over the next 3 months? Oh well, better Wylie is gone and Carroll is here. I feel like 2026 is the year USC may start to return as a football power again.
I think this is yet another example of the strong hand of Chad Bowden. Jen Cohen also had. to step up and provide more money. USC is on quite a spending spree. Another one of Riley’s good friends is gone.
Allen your last line regarding another of LR’s friends gone, along with GT’s wondering if LR is being marginalized, triggered a question in my head. If it wasn’t for the pounding weekly national press, an impatient USC athletic dept ( AD on up ) and a rabid diehard loyal fan base found here, would Grinch, a good friend of LR, still be USC’s DC ?
IMO, Grinch was so bad, he couldn’t have survived under any circumstances, which is why he was cut loose on Nov. 5, 2023, after a demoralizing big loss to UW, with games against ORE and UCLA still remaining. USC got smashed in both. Under the Riley/Grinch combo, USC gave up 572 yds and 52 points to No. 5 UW in the Trojans’ third loss in four games. The public tide was really turning against LR at that time (as you point out), and the fact that hapless Grinch was his good buddy was generating significant negative backlash. But I still think it… Read more »
The greatest leader in USC football history is generally considered to be John McKay. He led the Trojans to four national championships (1962, 1967, 1972, 1974) and had a career record of 127-40-8 in 16 seasons. While other coaches like Howard Jones, John Robinson, and Pete Carroll also had remarkable success, McKay’s sustained dominance and overall record place him at the top.
Grinch should never have been brought over here in the first place. Other than one pretty good year at Washington State, there is nothing on his resume to indicates that he is a good DC. He was pretty good last year as a DB position coach. Last year Wisconsin was 14th in the nation in pass defense. But as a DC, he’s not that good. That was back in the days when LR didn’t think he needed a defense and Grinch was one of his good buddies. When LR had his paradyme shift in his football philosophy concerning defense then… Read more »
If SC is going to return to the success we had under Pete Carroll and back to a national power, we need to have solid coaches who can get us to these levels.
I really believe the 4th quarter collapses was due to poor conditioning and just bad coaching. Hopefully this hire helps to change it for 2025.
So true MPA90. Was it the players fault the playcaller started calling nothing but passing plays in the 4th quarter in games against Michigan & Minnesota even when the running plays were working? I am not saying whether those games would still be losses if LR stayed with the running game, but you say to yourself what the hell was he thinking? How many games has USC lost these past 3-seasons due to “air raid itis”?
I have to chuckle when Lincoln Riley is referred to as a so-called “offensive genius.” If that’s true, there’s an awful lot of “offensive geniuses” out there. In 2023, Caleb Williams obviously disregarded many of LR’s play calls and resorted to running the USC Hero Ball offense much of the time. LR never had one thing to do with Caleb’s amazing scrambling abilities. Last season, as you point out, LR simply had a very bad year calling plays, especially for a reported “offensive genius.” He noticeably blew it on numerous occasions. Sad, but true. Lincoln’s a good QB coach who… Read more »
I don’t know how LR is being marginalized and isolated at USC. It seems they hired a guy to take a ton of crap off of LR’s plate. Bowden is listed under LR at SC, not under Jen.
Nobody’s talking about LR being the best college HC in America. Nobody. Not even close. He’s obviously not, and flagrantly isn’t even mentioned among those who are considered in the top 10-15. Sometimes, he’s even omitted from top 25 lists because of his last two big flop years. Chad Bowden is frequently referred in many places as possibly the best football GM in the country. That’s also what a lot of Notre Dame fans thought before Jen Cohen opened up her purse strings to pay Bowden over $1 mil a year, at least tripling his yearly salary. Even USC assts… Read more »
For those interested. On3.com is merging with Rivals.com. Basically, On3 acquired Rivals. The deal is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2025. On3.com — “Rivals is an icon in college sports and recruiting media,” said Shannon Terry, CEO of On3 and original co-founder of Rivals. “We’re excited to build on the momentum behind Rivals, which has a longstanding legacy as the most recognized brand and author of the recruiting industry. We look forward to taking Rivals to new heights with significant new investment focused on recruiting, high school sports, and passionate college fan communities. “We’re… Read more »
I will miss Rivals. Just suspicious that in the end the resulting service will turn into another service where everybody is great. Maybe my imagination, but if you have a 6.1 rating, more often than not you end up being a difference maker.
It looks like Trumain Carroll should help USC football tremendously. He’s viewed as an “unexpected big loss” for KSU, as he was given significant credit by Wildcat coach Chris Kleiman and many others for elevating KSU football since he arrived in 2021. One way you can tell if a new hire should work out well is to look at the reactions from the fan base where the new person is coming from. Check around the web, and you’ll see KSU Wildcat fans are strikingly unhappy about Carroll’s departure. He’s been described by KSU insiders as “wildly successful.” Imagine how we… Read more »
What always bewilders me is the focus on physicality in football with no mention of the mental aspect of the game, or any game in any sport for that matter. USC, year in and year out, would lead college football in mental errors and stupid penalties if that stat were kept. SC has talent and is recruiting good talent, but if the players can’t focus on what they are supposed to do on any given play, then that’s when dumb penalties and missed assignments occur. I don’t live in the LA area anymore and don’t keep up with all the… Read more »
From Other Trojan Fans — No Excuses Now “This just feels like the right fit with the current staff we have. An ex-player, who got his degree, between the ages of 30 and 42, married, and who shows tremendous personal discipline. “I’ve attended several K-State games the last several years, including their 2023 Bowl game against NC State in Orlando. 3 – 0, and I’ve always been impressed. They’ve always looked Big and Fit. Not necessarily fast, but USC is obviously recruiting better athletes than K-State. If his approach translates, that could be a really good thing. It’s a different… Read more »
Carroll hopefully will be more of a muscle-weight builder that succeeds in the Big Ten. Oklahoma St. & Kansas St. are Big 12 programs that fit into the lean & quick prototypes that Wylie came from. In the past, Kansas St. players have never been known as physically impressive ala Wisconsin-Michigan linemen types. We will see……
All the positives we read about Trumain Carroll’s successes as weight trainer for K-State and yet you could put Wiley in the same picture working Oklahoma’s successes. Wiley had better athletes to work with in the sooner program and that made a difference in winning games. I don’t see that big of a difference in the size & speed of what both produced in their respective programs. If we were talking about the Texas program then we are dealing with size & muscle. But not K-State. I think Riley wanted the Indiana weight trainer and settled for another Wiley with… Read more »
I would only say that it’s much easier to be successful at OU than it is at KSU. I’ve read up on Trumain Carroll and he comes overwhelmingly endorsed by observers far and wide, from both inside and outside the program. IU had the money to hold on to Derek Ownings and they ponied up, as most B1G programs can because the conference is so rich and pays so well. KSU, being in the lower-regarded Big 12, doesn’t have as much money. Plus, KSU always knew who they wanted if Carroll left. Asst S/C coach Ray Thomas was immediately named… Read more »
Carroll earned his bachelor’s degree in university studies from Oklahoma State in December 2005. During his five year playing career as a defensive end in Stillwater, Carroll helped lead the Cowboys to three consecutive bowl berths.
Xavier Griffin (6-3, 200) is expected to take several official visits this summer, most notably to Tuscaloosa on June 6th. He will join the likes of fellow 5-Star Jireh Edwards as well as several other notable top talents in the 2026 recruiting class. Hailing from Gainesville (GA), Griffin is ranked by 247Sports’ composite ranking as the No. 2 LB in the nation and the No. 2 player in the Peach State. He had been committed to the Trojans since July of 2024. Publicly, Griffin was telling people that he was extremely solid with USC. However, behind the scenes, Griffin was taking… Read more »
Big Ten Football: Win Total Projections Released for Every Team It’s officially projection season in college football. FanDuel just released its over/under win projections for every Big Ten team entering 2025. 2025 B1G over/under win projections Ohio State Buckeyes — 10.5 wins Oregon Ducks — 10.5 wins (Sat, Nov. 22, Eugene) Penn State Nittany Lions — 10.5 wins Indiana Hoosiers — 8.5 wins Michigan Wolverines — 8.5 wins (Sat, Oct. 11, L.A.) Illinois Fighting Illini — 7.5 wins (Sat, Sept. 27, Champaign) Iowa Hawkeyes — 7.5 wins (Sat, Nov. 15, L.A.) Nebraska Cornhuskers — 7.5 wins (Sat, Nov. 1, Lincoln)… Read more »
Still not a good projection for a 12 game season assuming they are including all games and USC should beat their first two opponents, the prediction says only 5 wins in ten meaningful games. I wonder what would happen if USC loses to Georgia Southern? Would that be the final nail in Riley’s coffin? Also since we lost 3 or 4 games due to stubborn coaching (one game was given to the opponent because the referee couldn’t see if they had scored) will the same stupidity lead to the end of Riley?
I think a 7.5 projection is low because once again, I have bought into the Trojan summer Kool-Aid. I believe Riley’s downgraded rep is responsible for USC being shortchanged by the national CFB press. But it seems to me like this 2025 Trojan team is going to have a lot of fire in its belly. The program has been abused on the field and in the press over the last two years, but this current Trojan team has so many new faces amongst staff, support and players, that I think my Kool-Aid indulgence should be forgiven. A lot will come… Read more »
You are expecting a major 360 degree pivot (😉) for Mr LR. It’s bad enough when opposing coaches know what you are going to do but when they admit it in public you know the play calling is bad. Now maybe the stress of all his responsibilities last year was clouding his ability to function as a coach. Like Trump, I hope LR succeeds as well. But for now, I am in the wait and see crowd for the both of them.
LR’s back is so far against the wall, I expect him to rely on the running game more. Our weakness has now become offense. We have no proven QB set up to guide USC right now. We have a question mark and a true 5-star frosh unknown. Now’s the perfect time to back off the Air Raid and learn how to control the clock and mix up the play calling. This Trojan team has a very interesting mix of talent on both sides of the ball. We aren’t deep, but if we get lucky with injuries, I can’t help but… Read more »
I hope Linkin has the good sense to school Longstreet early because I don’t think Maieva is the answer at QB….
Ya, Maieva’s a mystery to me too, but I haven’t totally given up on him.
Riley is the QB Whisperer, right? He should be able to make at least one of them a strong performer. I’m counting on it, or it will be a long year. It would be shame to waste our superior WR talent too.
USC’s renewed and dedicated interest in big-time local recruits continues to pay off under GM Chad Bowden
Greg Biggins of 247Sports says Williams has a shot at becoming the next great college football player from talent hotbed Junipero Serra.
“One of the nation’s top defensive back prospects and on the short list when talking about the top overall corner in the ’27 class…already been compared to former Cavalier greats Robert Woods and Adoree Jackson, who were also two-way players and standouts in track as well as football,” Biggins said.
ESPN Ranks the offseason for every Power 4 college football team Eli Lederman, Max Olson, Bill Connelly and Adam Rittenberg — The college football offseason used to feature slight to moderate turbulence from December to February, followed by a period of calm. Not anymore. The offseason comes in waves, upending rosters and coaching staffs, sometimes more than once, before things settle down. Every team must be prepared to minimize losses and make significant gains. Those who succeed can make history. Those who fail can also make history. Just look at IU and FSU in 2024. Certain teams had more players… Read more »
Cover 3 Podcast host Chip Patterson believes USC can make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. Connor Morrissette (USCFootball.com) — While USC football hasn’t featured in many post-spring top 25 rankings/predictions, one analyst gave the Trojans some major love this week. Speaking on the Cover 3 Podcast, host Chip Patterson picked USC to make the College Football Playoff during a Big Ten bold predictions segment. Patterson and the Cover 3 crew mentioned how USC was competitive in all of their losses last season, brought in new strength coach Trumain Carroll and has two really good receivers in Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon. The… Read more »
I’am thrilled to hear that Riley believes that every part of the USC program has to be excellent. If it is not championship level or not trending quickly that way, it needs to be fixed. Hopefully, that attitude will be applied to every level of the program……from top to bottom. 😉
Including the playcalling!
Chow, Sark & Kiffin had the ability to call the right plays at the right times in outduelling the opponent’s DC. I have yet to see Riley master that ability in picking the DC’s brain on a consistent basis these last 2-seasons. Of course when the going gets tough and all you call are pass plays, you give that DC an advantage in picking your brain?
The USC at ND game on Sat, Oct. 18, will kick off at 4:30 PT and air live on NBC.
The Trojans are looking to reverse another dismal trend vs the Irish. USC is just 3-7 over the last 10 games and an embarrassing 1-6 over the last seven.
Local 2026 LB Taylor Johnson commits to USC Chris Trevino (USCFootball.com) — USC football added a Monday commitment (less than a week after USC offered) from 2026 San Bernardino Cajon LB Taylor Johnson. Johnson (6-1, 200, unranked now, projects as 3-star) is the third LB prospect in the class and the 17th commitment from California. Johnson is the 28th commitment in USC’s No. 1 2026 recruiting class. He is the second consecutive commitment after the Trojans added four-star 2026 Santa Ana Mater Dei LB Shaun Scott on Sunday. He’s also the 10th commitment for the Trojans in the defensive front seven. “Coach Rob… Read more »
This new LB(Taylor Johnson) could be a big time sleeper. He certainly is productive. I hope he doesn’t turn out like Garrison Madden who was supposed to be a hard hitting sideline to sideline LB who so far has been a bust.
For every bust there’s a sleeper, or something like that. If USC’s current staff decides to offer a guy, I’m just plain old good with it.
Hope has been restored to USC recruiting across the board IMO due to the complete staff reorganization, and redirection towards the best prospects in Calif again, led by the insertion of the nation’s #1 CFB GM, Chad Bowden.
He certainly is productive……250 tackles in 2 years…..sounds like a guy with a nose for the football
Sounds like a reincarnation of Grotegoed?
Wouldn’t that be nice! Here’s what Groots’ coach, Rollo, said about him: “He was one of the most instinctive, competitive, focused kids I’ve ever been around,” Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said of the two-time CIF Southern Section Division I Defensive Player of the Year. “Anyone who knows anything about Matt Grootegoed knows everything he did when he was here, he did 110%. There’s no doubt that Matt Grootegoed is considered one of the top five players in the history of Mater Dei football and that’s saying a lot. He basically has legendary status around here. There’s not a week… Read more »
In HS & college Groots had enough ability to do what he did. His size & speed prevented his success on the next level unfortunately. Would have been interesting to see how he would handle playing in the Big Ten.
Groots is one of my favorite USC players ever, so I admittedly can’t be objective about him. I would always give a thumbs up to Groots. He also gave me the privilege of breaking his USC commitment to the public in general and the recruiting world because of a promise Rollo made to me. That meant a lot to me as “breaking commitments” (via 900 lines, SuperFax reports, radio shows, online, or otherwise) used to be a much bigger deal than it is today, and I had been watching him closely for two years — and was often stupefied by… Read more »
At this point, I would say that’s a huge stretch
He’s lacking the stars now but if his senior year turns out to be anything like his junior year he should be swimming in stars.
USC CB coach Trovon Reed on super Trojan football GM Chad Bowden Reed — “We have the best GM in America. I don’t think it’s close. I’ve been around a lot. I’ve seen a lot. We have the best GM in America. “So I don’t think it’s ever been a day where I had to go to him and show him a kid. He knows. Having guys like him and Dre (Brown, asst GM) and Wes (Zernechel, Dir of Recruiting) and those guys in the room, they make it somewhat easy for us. They on it. “That’s what having a… Read more »
Riley has zero excuses!
The pressure’s certainly on. That’s what the CFB world is also shouting about Mike Gundy (OKS), Mike Norvell (FSU), Luke Fickell (WIS, we dodged that bullet for sure) and LR’s underachieving replacement, Brent Venables at OU. Here’s John Buhler’s (fansided.com) attacks on both Venables and Riley: Buhler — If not for Joe Castiglione giving him a massive contract extension, why is Brent Venables still the head coach at Oklahoma? Three years in and all I know he is not the next Bob Stoops, Barry Switzer or Bud Wilkinson in Norman. While Venables did land John Mateer in the transfer portal,… Read more »
I am sure there are still a few hanging around. I am not sure USC is really all the way back. 2025 could still be a challenge where 2026 and beyond seem to be really looking like they could be back. I think they will be pretty good in 2025, and much better in 2026.
It’s evident that yes, we actually now have someone in the program that is the “best in the business” so to speak. I realize Bowden is in his first year, but I’m praying Jen gets ahead of this and restructures his contract to keep him here and fight off the poachers. Show how much we appreciate his talent. The new CFB era has put a spotlight on the GM position for so many reasons. Should LR leave in the near future, wouldn’t it be nice to have our GM still in the program as a selling point to grab a… Read more »
Agreed. Lock Bowden in! Even though he’s only been on the job since late January, he’s as vital as anyone now to USC’s football success.
WR Kohen Brown wants to officially visit other schools and decommits from USC Scott Schrader (WeAreSC) — Three-star Waxahachie (TX) WR Kohen Brown (6-0, 180, 10.69 100m) announced his decommitent from USC on Friday. Brown committed to USC on April 2, less than a week after a very impactful first visit to L.A. Although most of the USC commits have shut down their recruitment and canceled all official visits to other schools, Brown intends to take official visits in June. Since the arrival of new GM Chad Bowden, getting top targets committed quickly has been a huge priority. Another priority now is not having… Read more »
sounds like he can’t handle the competition
With Chad Bowden and his elite recruiting staff in charge now, I’m not worried about USC bringing in superior talent anymore.
For a school with USC’s outstanding wide receiver pedigree, they’re a dime a dozen. I wouldn’t say that about any other position group, but WRs generally flock to USC like it’s a receiver’s mecca.
USC has been QB U. Running back U and Receiver U at different times. We need to get that offense back yo where it needs to be.
How great is that?! USC has been O-line U at times as well, especially back in the day of Hudson Houck (’76-82, and a former USC OC himself, on the ’62 NC team).
Houck helped send numerous Trojans All-Americans to the NFL including Marvin Powell, Pat Howell, Brad Budde, Anthony Munoz, Keith Van Horne, Chris Foote, Roy Foster, Bruce Matthews, Don Mosebar, and Tony Slaton.
amen….Hudson Houck was one of the all time great O-Line coaches in college football(also pro football)
We might’ve even been linebacker U for a brief period or two.
definitely in 2008
Heard from a good source that will all the attention Brown is getting, he told the SC coaches he was going to continue taking official visits. SC’s response was, if that is the way it is going to be, you need to publicly de commit, because if you are not all in, this won’t end well. Like you said Allen, USC recruiting elite receivers shouldn’t be too hard.
Remember all the torturous fiddle-faddling with Georgia QB Julian Lewis (now at CU) who tried to play every end against the middle (USC), before USC finally cut bait late for local 5-star Husan Longstreet. I like Chad Bowden’s refreshing and smart new commitment policy which emphasizes loyalty and dedication to USC’s program. USC is certainly feeling its oats lately with these new high-powered and experienced staff additions in charge. It’s about time the Trojans got a little bit of swag back. Now all we need is a 2025 playoff-bound team as USC sneaks up on a CFB world that has… Read more »
Chris Petersen was like that when he was at Washington. He had a rule that said that if you were committed to Washington you could no longer take trips to other schools.
It’s really too bad Pat Haden couldn’t convince Petersen to take the USC job back in 2014. Sark came instead and he blew up at USC with the bottle. Just bizarre.
Now Petersen’s been out of the biz for five years, Sark has come back big time at TEXAS, and USC looks to be on the verge (to me at least) of finally, and realistically, playing with the big boys again.
If stinkin linkin doesn’t spit the bit….
The way I heard the story is that Haden went out of his way to convince Peterson that he just didn’t fit in at USC. He took the Washington job instead and the next season Washington beat USC.After the game was over he was interviewed by a sideline reporter who asked him about the difference between coaching at SC and Washington and he said “it’s all about”fit”. He was being sarcastic.
“The Peter Principle” — Pictures of Pat Haden and Lynn Swann should be printed within the definition.
You never know your limitations till you try to exceed them. But you shouldn’t be allowed to stay there 10 years at a ridiculous salary.
Haden and Swann were totally incompetent. Nakias was anti-football
I am convinced beyond a reasonable doubt Lynn Swann was hired specifically to follow strict orders of what Nikias told him to do as AD. And that was to keep the football program under rapts in slowly dying away to where nobody cared about it anymore. If it wasn’t for his shameful record of trusting the wrong people in positions of authority that got him removed, there is no telling what the football program would be today.
Lynn Swann introduced as USC athletic director; outgoing AD Pat Haden skipped the event at the McKay Center
Nikias revealed later that Haden, who backed Steve Lopes for his replacement, wasn’t informed of Swann’s hiring until about five minutes before USC announced the move.
“Neither Pat nor any of the members of the Board of Trustees were involved in this search,” Nikias said. “And that was the right thing to do.”
Swann’s famous last words: “USC should expect to win national championships, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
The questions are who wanted Wylie fired and who wanted and hired Carroll? My guess is it was Bowden at work. Am I wrong to suspect that LR is increasingly marginalized and isolated? Oh and the “new era of physicality” (hate that word), I thought last year was a “new era of physicality”. How much effect will Carroll have over the next 3 months? Oh well, better Wylie is gone and Carroll is here. I feel like 2026 is the year USC may start to return as a football power again.
I think this is yet another example of the strong hand of Chad Bowden. Jen Cohen also had. to step up and provide more money. USC is on quite a spending spree. Another one of Riley’s good friends is gone.
Allen your last line regarding another of LR’s friends gone, along with GT’s wondering if LR is being marginalized, triggered a question in my head. If it wasn’t for the pounding weekly national press, an impatient USC athletic dept ( AD on up ) and a rabid diehard loyal fan base found here, would Grinch, a good friend of LR, still be USC’s DC ?
IMO, Grinch was so bad, he couldn’t have survived under any circumstances, which is why he was cut loose on Nov. 5, 2023, after a demoralizing big loss to UW, with games against ORE and UCLA still remaining. USC got smashed in both. Under the Riley/Grinch combo, USC gave up 572 yds and 52 points to No. 5 UW in the Trojans’ third loss in four games. The public tide was really turning against LR at that time (as you point out), and the fact that hapless Grinch was his good buddy was generating significant negative backlash. But I still think it… Read more »
Have no fear, Riley still calls the plays……only……are those ear phones looking like they are connected to Jen’s booth. LOL.
Great recap of that demoralizing period of time. Incredible what quality leadership can do to almost any situation.
Your point about leadership is so true.
One point of view:
The greatest leader in USC football history is generally considered to be John McKay. He led the Trojans to four national championships (1962, 1967, 1972, 1974) and had a career record of 127-40-8 in 16 seasons. While other coaches like Howard Jones, John Robinson, and Pete Carroll also had remarkable success, McKay’s sustained dominance and overall record place him at the top.
Grinch should never have been brought over here in the first place. Other than one pretty good year at Washington State, there is nothing on his resume to indicates that he is a good DC. He was pretty good last year as a DB position coach. Last year Wisconsin was 14th in the nation in pass defense. But as a DC, he’s not that good. That was back in the days when LR didn’t think he needed a defense and Grinch was one of his good buddies. When LR had his paradyme shift in his football philosophy concerning defense then… Read more »
If SC is going to return to the success we had under Pete Carroll and back to a national power, we need to have solid coaches who can get us to these levels.
I really believe the 4th quarter collapses was due to poor conditioning and just bad coaching. Hopefully this hire helps to change it for 2025.
So true MPA90. Was it the players fault the playcaller started calling nothing but passing plays in the 4th quarter in games against Michigan & Minnesota even when the running plays were working? I am not saying whether those games would still be losses if LR stayed with the running game, but you say to yourself what the hell was he thinking? How many games has USC lost these past 3-seasons due to “air raid itis”?
I have to chuckle when Lincoln Riley is referred to as a so-called “offensive genius.” If that’s true, there’s an awful lot of “offensive geniuses” out there. In 2023, Caleb Williams obviously disregarded many of LR’s play calls and resorted to running the USC Hero Ball offense much of the time. LR never had one thing to do with Caleb’s amazing scrambling abilities. Last season, as you point out, LR simply had a very bad year calling plays, especially for a reported “offensive genius.” He noticeably blew it on numerous occasions. Sad, but true. Lincoln’s a good QB coach who… Read more »
I don’t know how LR is being marginalized and isolated at USC. It seems they hired a guy to take a ton of crap off of LR’s plate. Bowden is listed under LR at SC, not under Jen.
Nobody’s talking about LR being the best college HC in America. Nobody. Not even close. He’s obviously not, and flagrantly isn’t even mentioned among those who are considered in the top 10-15. Sometimes, he’s even omitted from top 25 lists because of his last two big flop years. Chad Bowden is frequently referred in many places as possibly the best football GM in the country. That’s also what a lot of Notre Dame fans thought before Jen Cohen opened up her purse strings to pay Bowden over $1 mil a year, at least tripling his yearly salary. Even USC assts… Read more »
For those interested. On3.com is merging with Rivals.com. Basically, On3 acquired Rivals. The deal is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2025. On3.com — “Rivals is an icon in college sports and recruiting media,” said Shannon Terry, CEO of On3 and original co-founder of Rivals. “We’re excited to build on the momentum behind Rivals, which has a longstanding legacy as the most recognized brand and author of the recruiting industry. We look forward to taking Rivals to new heights with significant new investment focused on recruiting, high school sports, and passionate college fan communities. “We’re… Read more »
I will miss Rivals. Just suspicious that in the end the resulting service will turn into another service where everybody is great. Maybe my imagination, but if you have a 6.1 rating, more often than not you end up being a difference maker.
It looks like Trumain Carroll should help USC football tremendously. He’s viewed as an “unexpected big loss” for KSU, as he was given significant credit by Wildcat coach Chris Kleiman and many others for elevating KSU football since he arrived in 2021. One way you can tell if a new hire should work out well is to look at the reactions from the fan base where the new person is coming from. Check around the web, and you’ll see KSU Wildcat fans are strikingly unhappy about Carroll’s departure. He’s been described by KSU insiders as “wildly successful.” Imagine how we… Read more »
What always bewilders me is the focus on physicality in football with no mention of the mental aspect of the game, or any game in any sport for that matter. USC, year in and year out, would lead college football in mental errors and stupid penalties if that stat were kept. SC has talent and is recruiting good talent, but if the players can’t focus on what they are supposed to do on any given play, then that’s when dumb penalties and missed assignments occur. I don’t live in the LA area anymore and don’t keep up with all the… Read more »
From Other Trojan Fans — No Excuses Now “This just feels like the right fit with the current staff we have. An ex-player, who got his degree, between the ages of 30 and 42, married, and who shows tremendous personal discipline. “I’ve attended several K-State games the last several years, including their 2023 Bowl game against NC State in Orlando. 3 – 0, and I’ve always been impressed. They’ve always looked Big and Fit. Not necessarily fast, but USC is obviously recruiting better athletes than K-State. If his approach translates, that could be a really good thing. It’s a different… Read more »
Carroll hopefully will be more of a muscle-weight builder that succeeds in the Big Ten. Oklahoma St. & Kansas St. are Big 12 programs that fit into the lean & quick prototypes that Wylie came from. In the past, Kansas St. players have never been known as physically impressive ala Wisconsin-Michigan linemen types. We will see……
All the positives we read about Trumain Carroll’s successes as weight trainer for K-State and yet you could put Wiley in the same picture working Oklahoma’s successes. Wiley had better athletes to work with in the sooner program and that made a difference in winning games. I don’t see that big of a difference in the size & speed of what both produced in their respective programs. If we were talking about the Texas program then we are dealing with size & muscle. But not K-State. I think Riley wanted the Indiana weight trainer and settled for another Wiley with… Read more »
I would only say that it’s much easier to be successful at OU than it is at KSU. I’ve read up on Trumain Carroll and he comes overwhelmingly endorsed by observers far and wide, from both inside and outside the program. IU had the money to hold on to Derek Ownings and they ponied up, as most B1G programs can because the conference is so rich and pays so well. KSU, being in the lower-regarded Big 12, doesn’t have as much money. Plus, KSU always knew who they wanted if Carroll left. Asst S/C coach Ray Thomas was immediately named… Read more »
I hope he’s somewhere between watching every morsel going into the team’s mouth and “give a lineman a cookie,” type of guy.