USC Trojans Program Falling Apart Under Lincoln Riley? Top Recruiting Classes Transferring

USC Trojans safety Zion Branch and his younger brother, receiver Zachariah Branch hit the transfer portal on Tuesday. The brothers were highly recruited players in the 2022 and 2023 cycles respectively. The loss highlights a major roster retention problem for the Trojans under Lincoln Riley.

Sep 21, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans suffered another massive blow to its roster on Tuesday when sophomore receiver Zachariah Branch and his older brother, redshirt sophomore safety Zion Branch announced they would be entering the transfer portal. USC has seen a mass exodus of players since the portal opened on Dec. 9, the loss of the Branch brothers raises the number to 19.

Zachariah Branch was a five-star prospect coming out Bishop Gorman (NV) High School in the 2023 recruiting cycle. He was rated as the No. 1 receiver and the No. 4 overall prospect, per the On3 Industry Rankings. The younger Branch quickly became an impact player for the Trojans and was the first freshman in program history to earn First-Team All-American honors as a returner. This season, he was tied for the team lead in receptions (47) and ranked second in receiving yards (503).

Zion Branch was a four-star prospect coming out of Gorman in the 2022 recruiting cycle. He was rated as the No. 7 safety and No. 61 overall prospect. Branch was plagued by injuries early in his career, before having his first fully healthy season in 2024. He provided much-needed depth behind starting safeties Kamari Ramsey and Akili Arnold. Branch was expected to take on a larger role for D'Anton Lynn's defense in 2025 with Arnold and Bryson Shaw out of eligibility, but the Trojans will need to turn to the portal themselves to fill out the room with the necessary experience. However, the loss of the Branch brothers highlights a much larger issue for USC under coach Lincoln Riley.

Sep 21, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

In the NIL and portal era, where players no longer have to sit out a season when they decide to transfer, roster retention has become increasingly difficult. And there is an argument to be made that no Power 4 program has struggled more to keep high-profile players than USC over the past couple of seasons, without losing its head coach. Riley signed four five-star players in his first two recruiting classes in 2022 and 2023, Branch, quarterback Malachi Nelson, cornerback Domani Jackson and receiver Duce Robinson, none remain on the roster.

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In those two recruiting cycles, the Trojans signed 11 players that ranked in the Rivals100 prospects and nine of them have transferred out. Jackson, Zion Branch, running back Raleek Brown, receiver CJ Williams in the 2022 recruiting class. Nelson, Robinson, Zachariah Branch, running back Quinten Joyner and linebacker Tackett Curtis in the 2023 recruiting class.

There is a sense around the program that players are being underdeveloped, which has contributed to the large number of transfers the past couple of years. That belief has carried over into the Trojans most recent recruiting class. USC had 14 player decommit in the 2025 recruiting cycle, including five-star receiver Jerome Myles, defensive lineman Justus Terry and Isaiah Gibson, and quarterback Julian Lewis.

Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) runs against the LSU Tigers during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Trojans lured Riley away from Oklahoma with a lucrative 10-year, $110 million dollar contract in November 2021 and immediately found success in Riley's first season in 2022. A year after going 4-8, Riley led USC to an 11-3 record, an appearance in the Pac-12 Championship Game and a New Year's Six Bowl. But even in those two games, the Trojans have been left with what could have been. USC was one win away from a berth in the College Football Playoff when they squared off against Utah in Las Vegas on championship weekend. They raced out to a 17-3 lead, but then the team imploded, and the Utes went on a 44-7 run to defeat the Trojans 47-24. In the Cotton Bowl against Tulane, USC held a two-touchdown lead at two separates points in the game, including one with under five minutes remaining in regulation and fell 46-45.

From there, the Trojans have regressed every year under Riley. In 2023, the Trojans started the season 6-0 and then proceeded five of its final six regular season game, including losses to rivals Notre Dame and UCLA. They finished the season 8-5 after a win over Louisville in the Holiday Bowl.

This season, the Trojans struggled to make a bowl game in their first season in the Big Ten conference and finished 6-6. Their only road win came against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Major questions surround the future of the program and where they go from here after another disappointing season under Riley and a large number of elite recruits looking for new homes.

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