USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley, Chad Bowden Make Rare Analytics Hire For Football Staff

The USC Trojans continue their overhaul of their front office staff with the addition of a new director of analytics, Conor McQuiston.

It's the first time someone has held the position in program history as general manager Chad Bowden and coach Lincoln Riley continue to make moves that revamp the Trojans' off-the-field operations.

Notre Dame assistant athletics director Chad Bowden, center, watches a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's the first time McQuiston has taken a job at the collegiate level. McQuiston's previous employers include the Arizona Cardinals, Pro Football Focus, NextGen Stats, and Prize Picks.

Since Bowden has been on campus, he's been adament about re-awakening the program back to the heights of national championships. The recent staff moves that he and Riley have been making have been pushing the program toward that direction.

“I always felt like USC was the sleeping giant of college football. And I remember always thinking, if I ever got that opportunity, deep down I’d want to take it because I know what this place can do. And it’s the recruiting landscape. It’s the state of California. It’s the city of Los Angeles, the greatest city in the United States," Bowden said.

Prior to the offseason, USC had only one front office member in former general manager Dave Emerick, whose title shifted to senior associate athletic director for football after USC athletic director Jen Cohen hired Bowden earlier this year.

Bowden and USC have hired executive director of personnel and scouting Dre Brown, assistant athletic director of recruiting operations Zaire Turner, and executive director of personnel Max Stienecker, and they all hold key positions among Bowden's front office staff. McQuiston becomes the latest addition to the staff and shows that the Trojans aren't afraid to do whatever is necessary to win, including creating entirely new positions in the program.

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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

Shortly after Bowden's arrival, USC managed to secure the commmitments of a couple key recruits and saw their 2026 recruiting class skyrocket to the top of the rankings. Currently, the Trojans hold the No. 1 class in the country according to 247Sports.

Bowden said that building out recruiting classes filled with the top in-state prospects is one of the top goals of the program moving forward.

"And if you look into the fine details of how programs are built and how the place was built, and when success had happened, that’s that was a key part of USC being on top. my plans and my vision is to bring that back and to take care of the state, and the state deserves it," Bowden said.

Out of the 19 commitments that USC currently holds, 12 of them hail from the Golden State. Four-star Simote Katoanga and Tomuhini Topui, the state's top two defensive lineman according to 247Sports, are both committed to the Trojans. California's No. 3 wide receiver in the cycle, Trent Mosely, is also pledged to the Trojans, showcasing Bowden and the Trojans' commitment to recruiting the best players from California.

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