USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley Hosts Insane Amount Of Alumni At Scrimmage: Caleb Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown

The USC Trojans are nearing the close of the spring football practice period. After an early offseason full of coaching, staffing, and player additions, and key players leaving or entering the 2025 NFL Draft, the Trojans team will look much differently than it did last season and even differently than it did in the Las Vegas Bowl against Texas A&M. Regardless, the Trojans have their most well-rounded roster and their best coaching staff top to bottom since the Pete Carroll era.

With that, the excitement around the program is bustling again. Former players and even players who are alumni from other major universities have stopped by to attend practice. Former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and former Alabama Crimson Tide running back Jahmyr Gibbs are among the players who have stopped by to see the Trojans practice. This past Saturday, over 150 players attended practice.

Dec 18, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (8) scores on a 47-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against the Oregon Ducks during the Pac-12 Championship at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"We had over 150 former players there. That was pretty special. Other than a few recruits and some of the staff families, we didn’t have anyone else in the Coliseum. We had all the former players around the field. It was pretty cool. At one moment, I looked over and the DB’s were doing individuals and Ronnie Lott was back there watching, pointing out a few things here and there. And you’re like, ‘Jeez. This is pretty good,'" coach Lincoln Riley said.

"So it was cool to have those guys around. One of the best things was, some of the staff had to get back for recruiting responsibilities, but a lot of our team stayed out there with the former players for some time and whether it was guys they already knew or striking up new relationships or talking about what they saw in practice, that’s invaluable for us. I think they said that’s the most former players that have been back for practice in a long, long, long, long time. So that was a cool moment," Riley continued.

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From the staff hires to the recruiting momentum, USC is making massive leaps towards building a serious contender in the Big Ten conference and potentially nationally. General manager Chad Bowden and the support staff have USC towards the top or at the top of the rankings on multiple recruiting sites. The Trojans are expected to attack the spring portion window, albeit selectively. In the new NIL era, it can be easy to get caught up in the numbers, but relationships still rule the roost for the Trojans.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane (8) catches the ball against Texas A&M Aggies defensive back BJ Mayes (20) in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“Real relationships with the coaches and personnel and most importantly the head coach,” USC general manager Chad Bowden said earlier this spring. “That’s what it comes down to and nothing has changed. I know NIL has a piece of it but it’s not the end all be all. It’s relationship, it’s development, it’s life after football. We all have money. What really matters is building a culture and family and these kids and families knowing we’re going to take care of their sons, and these kids knowing we’re going to help them reach their dreams and goals and aspirations in life.

The Trojans have undoubtedly rebuilt the culture that made them the must-see destination in college football. The rest of the country may not have caught on yet, and that’s fair to be honest, but the Trojans are making serious progress in their journey back to national prominence. If the Trojans can return to their winning ways, the sleeping giant will return to their customary ways in no time.

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