Lincoln Riley Doesn't Hold Back On Tanook Hines' Potential At USC

The USC Trojans lost to the TCU Horned Frogs in the Alamo Bowl on Tuesday night, but USC coach Lincoln Riley has seemingly found his next top wide receiver in Tanook Hines.

Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Tanook Hines (16) runs the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans suffered a heartbreaking 30-27 loss to TCU in the Alamo Bowl to end their season with a 9-4 record. In spite of the loss, wide receiver Tanook Hines had a big game for the Trojans, closing out his first season in college football with a bang.

Rising To The Moment

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

With the Trojans' star wide receiver duo of Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane opting out of the bowl game, it allowed Hines to take over as the de-facto No. 1 target in the Trojans' pass offense.

After the game, USC coach Lincoln Riley gushed about the performance from Hines. The freshman had a career-high of 163 yards on six catches.

"Yeah, it was fun to see him kind of rise up in that moment and kind of assume that role. He was pretty unguardable tonight, to be honest. The only times they really guarded him is when they tackled him. So, yeah, he did a great job. He's going to be a hell of a player here," Riley said.

Potential No. 1 Wide Receiver Next Season

Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Tanook Hines (16) carries the ball against UCLA Bruins defensive back Scooter Jackson (28) in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After signing to USC as a four-star wide receiver in the 2025 recruiting cycle, Hines impressed coaches from the moment he stepped foot on campus. Hines was able to ascend to the depth chart relatively quickly during fall camp and entered his true freshman season as the No. 3 wide receiver.

Despite being stashed behind Lemon and Lane on the depth chart, Hines still showed flashes of his talent during the regular season. He had his lone 100-yard performance in the loss to Oregon.

With all the opt-outs and transfer portal entries surrounding the Trojans' pass attack, Hines was thrust into a new role as the team's interim No. 1 wide receiver. He was able to adjust to the newfound attention from opposing defenses with Lane, Lemon and tight end Lake McRee out.

Even if the Trojans bring in a transfer wide receiver or two over the offseason, Hines proved in the Alamo Bowl loss that he is more than deserving of a bigger role next season.

MORE: USC Star Jahkeem Stewart Hints At Trojans' Next Defensive Coordinator

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MORE: One Bright Spot For USC Following Alamo Bowl Loss vs. TCU

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Taking A Look At USC's 2026 Wide Receiver Group

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

There is still a lot to like about USC's projected 2026 wide receiver room. In addition to bringing back Hines, Romero Ison, Corey Simms, and Zacharyus Williams, the Trojans arguably signed the best wide receiver class in the 2026 recruiting cycle and are set to bring in six signees.

Four-star wide receivers Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Ethan Feaster have a chance to make an impact similar to the way Hines did in his freshman season.

Since the Trojans are losing Lemon and Lane, that frees up plenty of resources for Riley and general manager Chad Bowden to go out and get a true No. 1 wide receiver in the transfer portal to compliment their current core.