What Lincoln Riley Said About USC Trojans' Recruiting Momentum

The 2024 season for the USC Trojans was disappointing, and the team ended with a 7-6 record. Winning the Las Vegas Bowl was positive, but it was an underwhelming season for the Trojans and USC coach Lincoln Riley.

While it may have been a tough season, Riley sat down with CBS Sports’ Josh Pate and talked about why there is a lot of positivity surrounding the program.

“I mean, the momentum in this building right now is real. Ask anybody that’s been around this program for the last several months, like they feel it, they see it, and you see a lot of these things really coming together,” Riley said.

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Riley took the USC job in 2022 with high expectations. He has produced a No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick, but he has also missed out on the College Football Playoff during his time in Southern California. Riley looked back on when he first started with USC and how he and the staff have had to adapt.

“It’s like you’re kind of trying to balance the USC thing but then also the college football thing at the same time, and so we’ve had to adapt certainly our plans at times,” Riley said. “We really came in with a goal in the beginning to get some momentum early. We went really heavy in the portal as everybody knows.”

The USC Trojans' recruiting in the past couple of years has not been their strength, but that is beginning to change. USC holds the No. 15 ranked class of 2025 in the nation, and the No. 5 ranked class in the Big Ten, per On3.

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The positive shift is occurring with USC's class of 2026. USC is ranked No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in the Big Ten, per On3. One difference maker is the program’s strength with in-state recruiting. 64 percent of the class of 2026 commitments are from California. In-state recruiting was an area that had to improve, and now there is hope for the future of the USC football program.

“We’re now kind of in a period we’re starting to transition more into really being what we want to be long term, which is a high school developmental program. Given our location, given our school, our history, the staff we’ve put together, we feel like that’s the best path forward for USC now to take that next step,” Riley said.

“I think recruiting is always a great barometer with where your program's at right,” Riley continued. “You’ve got high school players that a lot of these guys are recruiting have the option to go just about anywhere in the country they want to.”

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Riley and the USC staff are building a talented team through recruiting and the transfer portal. USC has also brought in an elite coaching staff, which will turn the talented players into a competitive team. Just this offseason, the Trojans hired Rob Ryan as the new linebackers coach. Ryan has 34 years of coaching experience, 24 of which were in the NFL.

“I think I take a lot of my confidence from the people on the staff. Have won national championships, Super Bowls, and we got some, we got one of the most accomplished staffs of anybody. And they all feel it, and they all know exactly what that feels like because they’ve been a part of it.”

While the 2024 season did not go as fans wanted it to go, USC is taking the steps needed to become a competitive team. There is confidence from Riley and the staff that the Trojans will be a good team, not just this year, but for many years.

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