How Chad Bowden is Changing USC's Transfer Portal Approach

Transfer portal season is officially upon us, college football’s version of free agency and the opportunity to grab immediate impact players for next season means programs will be spare no expense to elevate their team.

In his first season as the USC Trojans general manager, Chad Bowden was aggressive on the recruiting trail, landing the No. 1 class in the country. So, it’s only fitting he would have the same approach with the transfer portal.

USC Trojans general manager Chad Bowden hired from Notre Dame Fighting Irish | USC Trojans Video Youtube

USC not only needs to add veteran players to what was an incredibly young roster remaining during bowl season, but productive players at the Power 4 level. Southern Cal can't afford to go after projections, which has failed them in the past, but instead, target players that have proven production.

Last year’s transfer portal additions were largely inconsistent, but they did hit on a few players, such as safety Bishop Fitzgerald, who was a productive player during his two seasons at NC State. That carried over in his lone season with the Trojans and earned consensus All-American honors.

This offseason will consist of only of portal window from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16, which means USC will have one opportunity to get it right.

First Wave of Transfer Portal Visits

USC Trojans Jontez Willams Lincoln Riley Transfer Portal Big Ten NIL Cam Coleman Chad Bowden Recruit Recruiting Class — Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Jontez Williams intercepts a pass against Baylor during the third quarter at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USC will begin hosting this weekend, which includes Iowa State cornerback Jontez Williams, Washington linebacker Deven Bryant and NC State wide receiver Terrell Anderson.

Williams is the No. 1 cornerback in the transfer portal this season. The former Cyclones cornerback was all over NFL radars heading into this past season but season-ending knee injury limited him to just five games, where he tallied one interception and three pass breakups. However, in 2024. Williams finished with four interceptions and broke up five passes.

USC will get the first opportunity to make an impression on Williams, before he visits Notre Dame and Florida next week. The Trojans have several highly touted cornerbacks on the roster in former five-star RJ Sermons and four-star Trestin Castro from the 2025 class. Five-star Elbert Hill and four-stars Brandon Lockhart and Peyton Dyer will be on campus this spring.

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Marcelles Williams started 11 games this season and showed improvement as the year progressed but is certainly not an automatic lock to be a starter again next season. And then Chasen Johnson will return next season after missing almost the entirety of this season. He started four games during his true freshman season at UCF in 2024.

Bryant started 10 games and finished third on team in tackles for the Huskies in 2025. The St. John Bosco (Calif.) product has Southern California ties and the Trojans are the heavy favorites to land Bryant. Linebacker is a massive need for the Trojans as the middle of their defense was exposed throughout the season. Desman Stephens and Jadyn Walker are the two key returners for USC, but there's no doubt USC needs to bring in competition for them.

Anderson finished second on NC State in receptions and touchdowns and first in receiving yards. The sophomore receiver played in all 13 games during his true freshman season in 2024 and made a leap in 2025.

Entering Cam Coleman Sweepstakes

Former Auburn receiver Cam Coleman is one of the most coveted players in the portal. The former five-star recruit in the 2025 cycle has all the tools to be a potential first round pick in the near future and can drastically improve any offense immediately.

Coleman has set visits with a pair of Texas schools in Texas A&M and Texas Tech, but the 6-foot-3, 200-pound receiver will also make a trip out west to visit USC on Jan. 8-9, according to On3.

With reigning Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane headed off to the NFL, the Trojans are in the market for a veteran receiver and there’s no bigger target than Coleman.

Freshman Tanook Hines proved to be a rising star in the Alamo Bowl when he reeled in six receptions for a career-high 163 yards. It was his second game with at least 140 receiving yards in USC’s last three contest. Adding someone the caliber of Coleman would give the Trojans another dynamic duo at receiver.

Coleman feels like a long shot at the moment, but so were some recruits in the 2026 class. If Coleman makes it to visit with the Trojans next week and can have a meeting with Bowden and Riley, the chances of USC can actually become a reality.

USC signed several blue-chip receivers in the 2026 class, but adding a veteran receiver such as Coleman or Anderson is vital.

First Wave of Transfer Portal Visits

Entering Cam Coleman Sweepstakes

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