USC's Lincoln Riley Spotted With Two Former No. 1 Overall NFL Draft Picks

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley was spending some time on the golf course with Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Golf and former USC quarterback Carson Palmer.

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

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley is making the most of the college football offseason. Riley was seen on the golf course with Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Golf and former USC quarterback Carson Palmer. 

Lincoln Riley With A Pair of Former No. 1 Overall NFL Draft Picks

Feb 2, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Carson Palmer during red carpet arrivals for the NFL Honors show at Fox Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Lincoln Riley was hitting the links with a pair of former No.1 overall picks in the NFL Draft. Take a look at the picture they took below, which Riley posted on his Instagram story. 

USC head coach Lincoln Riley hittin the links with Carson Palmer and Jared Goff ✌️ pic.twitter.com/mXiJXeuu3K

— Ryan Dyrud (@RyanDyrudLAFB) May 23, 2026

On the right of Riley in the blue shirt was former USC quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer played for the Trojans from 1998-2002. In his time with the Trojans, Palmer threw for 11,388 yards and 71 touchdowns. Palmer was named the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner and was selected No. 1 overall in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. 

Palmer’s NFL career spanned from 2004-2017, primarily with the Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. Overall, he threw for 46,247 yards and 294 touchdowns. Palmer made the Pro Bowl three times and was named Second-team All-Pro in 2015.

On Riley’s left was Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Goff played his college football for the California Golden Bears from 2013-2015 and was selected No. 1 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. Goff played for the Rams for the first five years of his professional career, helping lead them to a Super Bowl during the 2018 season. 

Feb 1, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during NFC practice at the Flag Fieldhouse Moscone Center South Building. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Following the 2020 season, Goff was involved in a blockbuster trade that sent him from Los Angeles to the Detroit Lions for quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford ended up winning a Super Bowl in the first year after the trade, but Goff began to have his own success.

In 2023 Goff helped lead the Lions to an NFC North division title and two playoff victories, earning them a trip to the NFC Championship game. The following year, the Lions had the best record in the NFL in the regular season at 15-2, but were upset in the divisional round of the playoffs.  For his career, Goff is a five-time Pro Bowler, and has thrown for 39,622 yards and 256 touchdowns. 

Successful Quarterbacks Under Lincoln Riley

Dec 10, 2022; New York, NY, USA; Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams (right) poses for photos with his head coach Lincoln Riley during a press conference in the Astor Ballroom at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York, NY, after winning the 2022 Heisman Trophy. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Lincoln Riley knows a thing or two about quarterbacks that have gone No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft. Since his college head coaching career began in 2017 with the Oklahoma Sooners, Riley has coached three different quarterbacks that ended up going No. 1 overall in their respective draft: Baker Mayfield in 2018, Kyler Murray in 2019, and Caleb Williams in 2024.

Mayfield and Murray played under Riley at Oklahoma while Williams played under Riley at both Oklahoma and USC. Furthermore, all of them won a Heisman Trophy Award: Mayfield in 2017, Murray in 2018, and Williams in 2022. 

Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) and head coach Lincoln Riley react after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC’s starting quarterback heading into the 2026 season in Jayden Maiava. Maiava started for USC in all 13 of their games in 2025, throwing for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns. Could Maiava take a step forward and get in the running for the 2026 Heisman Trophy under Riley, leaping up NFL Draft boards in the process?

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