USC Freshman Safety Earns Lofty Admiration From Lincoln Riley

USC Trojans freshman safety Madden Riordan has been the perfect example of stars no longer matter once you can arrive on campus.

It’s easy to get caught up in the recruiting rankings or what a player's star rating is coming out of high school. It’s used as a metric for the NFL Draft and player projections for the next level but at the end of the day, a ranking doesn’t define what a player will be at the next level.

Madden Riordan Makes a Statement in the Spring

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Madden Riordan Early Enrollee Sierra Canyon Spring Practice Injury Update Recruiting Coliseum — Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The buzz around Riordan began the second week of spring practice and has not slowed down since. With multiple injuries to the safety position this spring, the three-star recruit from nearby Sierra Canyon (Calif.) has seen extended reps and taken full advantage of them.

Southern Cal held a scrimmage last weekend inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Riordan was one of the standout performers. USC coach Lincoln Riley had some lofty admiration for Riordan on Wednesday.

“He's smart and he makes plays. He shows up," Riley said. "He's really picked up the system fast, even though he's a young guy, and we that's one of the things we knew. We knew there was going to be some physical development to go with him, but we knew he was a very cerebral player. You go back and look at his high school career, the guy always made plays on the ball. He got interceptions every single game, and he's done that. Not every single practice, but he's had his fair share out here already.

“He breaks on the ball fast. He diagnoses routes, he communicates well. He plays fast because he's confident mentally in what he's doing, and that's his advantage. And so we got to continue to put some weight on him and get him stronger. He's impressive. He goes in there, from a mental standpoint, and operates like a vet. It shows how important the mental side of this game is.”

Riordan made a name for himself as a freshman at Sierra Canyon and was a ball hawk throughout his high school career, highlighted by a 10-interception season as a junior while facing premier schools in Southern California, which earned him MaxPreps Junior first team All-American honors. Instincts and football intelligence are characteristics that translate and Riordan was advanced in those areas before he ever stepped foot on campus.

Developing depth at safety has been a priority for USC this spring and Riordan has certainly made an impression on the Trojans staff and veterans as an early enrollee.

Next Step for Madden Riordan

As Riley mentioned, the emphasis for Riordan will continue be adding weight and muscle to his 170-pound frame. Riordan has already seen the benefits of working with strength and conditioning coach Trumain Carroll in his first few months on campus.

Following the conclusion of spring practice this week, the Trojans will still have five weeks left in school, which gives them an opportunity to have another round of workouts before returning for their summer program.

The bottom line is Riordan is a good football player, and USC knew it when a landed a commitment from him in the fall of his sophomore year. He's flashing early and similar to benefiting from Carroll in the weight room, he's blossoming under new safeties coach and defensive pass game coordinator Paul Gonzales on the field.

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