Lincoln Riley, Deion Sanders Called Out for Major Mistake Amid Hot Seat Rumors

USC coach Lincoln Riley and Colorado coach Deion Sanders took heat on "The Herd" for leaning on name, image and likeness (NIL) money and the transfer portal, but Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt argued the portal is the bigger issue.

The show's host grouped the pair with former LSU coach Brian Kelly and called the portal and NIL "a little fool's gold." Klatt disputed part of that argument and said "a change would be a massive mistake" at USC.

Why did the host blame NIL?

Lincoln Riley, Deion Sanders Called Out for Major Mistake Amid Hot Seat Rumors — Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Brian Kelly, Deion Sanders and Lincoln Riley all went heavy when NIL came out," the host said.

"Outside of quarterback, you're often getting somebody that nobody else really wants to pay, so you overpay for an interior Georgia defensive lineman that Kirby Smart was like, 'All right, we'll let you walk. We've got five of those guys.'"

LSU fired Kelly, now a CBS Sports analyst, on Oct. 26, 2025, after a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M.

The host credited Riley for pivoting to high school recruiting after USC hired general manager Chad Bowden from Notre Dame, and Bowden's first cycle produced the nation's No. 1 class for 2026.

"His mistake to me is, like Brian Kelly, he's like, 'I'm going portal,'" the host said.

Joel Klatt on transfer portal culture

"I can understand how you philosophically get there. I don't think it's correct," Klatt said. "And the reason is because we've seen teams that have been built through the portal succeed. I think that generally happens when a coach moves and brings his core with him."

Riley's best USC season fits that model, because quarterback Caleb Williams followed him from Oklahoma through the portal and the 2022 Trojans went 11-3.

"So your transfers, they have to be yours. And what's difficult is to build a new culture out of the transfer portal," Klatt added.

Klatt also separated the portal from NIL. "Because NIL, everybody is paying players," he said. "Everybody has players that are making well over a million dollars on their roster."

"What I see right now is that the best teams in college football have built their teams and a culture from within, and then they sprinkle in positions of need out of the transfer portal," Klatt said.

Will USC fire Lincoln Riley?

USC's 41-27 home loss to Oregon on Sept. 26 intensified that question. CBS Sports insider Matt Zenitz reported Riley's future came under "serious question," and the fifth-year coach is 5-15 against ranked opponents at USC with a reported $70 million buyout.

The Trojans then rallied from 21-10 down to beat Washington 25-21 on Oct. 3 as "Fire Lincoln!" chants rolled out of the student section. USC sits at 5-1 and 2-1 in Big Ten play.

"They're closer to Oregon than they were a year ago," Klatt said. "But this process is working at USC. This is a much better team than they've had over the last couple of years."

On "Big Noon Kickoff," Klatt estimated a full coaching change would cost USC "$100 to $120 million" and named freshmen Luke Wafle, Kaden Dixon-Wyatt, Trent Mosley and tight end Mark Bowman as players rival programs would target.

The exchange didn't address Sanders' job status, but Colorado fell to 2-3 after a 29-7 loss to No. 12 Texas Tech, and Coach Prime is 18-24 in Boulder, a record that kept him in the latest college football coaches hot seat index.

USC visits Penn State on Oct. 10 and hosts Ohio State on Oct. 31.

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