Lincoln Riley Reveals USC Trojans Plan Instead of Annual Spring Game: Recruiting Day?

The USC Trojans were one of several college football programs to cancel their annual spring game this year. USC coach Lincoln Riley revealed the plan for their final practice on Saturday as they host an impressive list of blue-chip recruits.

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during a time out against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans were one of several college football programs to cancel their annual spring game. 

Instead, the Trojans will hold it’s final practice and do some light scrimmaging in front of a crowd that will be exclusively made up of current players families and an impressive list of recruits on Saturday, April 26. 

“We’ve got some cool things planned in the Coliseum,” said USC coach Lincoln Riley. 

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during a time out against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

USC will hold the “Trojan Olympics.” Riley did not articulate what the event will feature, but he did indicate it will involve the coaching staff, saying “I know there’s a lot of stretching going on in the John McKay center right now."

Coaches have sited different reasons for not playing a spring game. Some have pointed to a tampering problem that have run rampant in college football. Riley said he wants to maximize the 15-practice limit, instead of preparing for a watered-down spring game. A change in format is something new, but it could also become a new tradition in the program.

“A chance to interact with our recruits, a chance to do something a little bit different," Riley said. "We’ve got some new ideas that we’re excited to go have some fun with.”

USC are set to host star-studded list of blue-chip recruits over the weekend, including Gainesville (Ga.) five-star linebacker and USC commit Xavier Griffin, Archbishop Hoban (Ohio) five-star cornerback Elbert Hill, University Lab (La.) five-star defensive lineman Lamar Brown and Fruitland (Idaho) four-star offensive tackle Kelvin Obot. 

Griffin will be making his sixth trip out to Los Angeles as he remains “fully committed” to the Trojans as several SEC schools make a strong push for the No. 1 ranked linebacker in the 2026 class. 

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Hill is making his third trip to USC this calendar year. The Ohio native visited campus for the first time in January and the Trojans made a strong impression on him and quickly found themselves in the mix. Hill made another the trip out west in late March to watch USC’s first padded practice this spring. 

The Trojans have been relentless in their pursuit of Hill and On3 logged a prediction for USC to land the No. 1 ranked player in the state of Ohio. USC already holds a commitment from two blue-chip cornerbacks in Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) five-star RJ Sermons and Loyola (Calif.) four-star Brandon Lockhart.

Brown will be making his first trip to Los Angeles this weekend. The University Lab product is the top-ranked athlete in the On3 Industry Rankings and player in the state of Louisiana. He is a dominant player on both the offensive and defensive line.

Archbishop Hoban's Elbert 'Roc' Hill IV runs with the ball in the first half of a football game against Central York at Panthers Stadium on Oct. 18, 2024, in Springettsbury Township. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brown has locked in four official visits this summer with Miami, Florida State, Texas A&M and LSU as he prepares to make a decision on the Fourth of July. USC is late to the mix, but having the lure of Southern California, Riley and his staff have been known to leave quite an impression on recruits during visits. 

Brown does have a strong relationship with new Trojans cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed, who is also from Louisiana.

Obot recently narrowed his list to five schools, USC, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon and Utah. Obot was a big riser in the latest On3 rankings that were released on Monday, moving up to the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 9 overall prospect. 

USC holds 23 commitments and the No. 1 ranked recruiting class for the 2026 cycle. The Trojans will conclude spring practice on Saturday and the staff will quickly transition into hitting the road again with official visit season fast approaching.