Category: USC Trojans

Four-star Tackett Curtis joins Mason Cobb, Eric Gentry, and Shane Lee in stacked USC linebacker room

Because #USC has Shane Lee back and Mason Cobb in the fold, 4-star LB Tackett Curtis won’t feel huge pressure to be Superman right away. Depth is being built.

The USC Trojans keep adding names, and it won’t end anytime soon. On the first day of the early signing period, Zachariah Branch, Makai Lemon, and Malachi Nelson — all five-star offensive players — signed their NLIs.

That wasn’t all, either. Lincoln Riley was nowhere close to being done. According to Shotgun Spratling of 247Sports, the Trojans officially landed Tackett Curtis, a four-star linebacker who had been committed to USC since the summer.

The official USC football account confirmed the move. This is another step in the right direction for a team desperately in need of talent on defense after a rough end to the season.

Curtis drew plenty of interest from other big-name programs, including Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Notre Dame, and plenty more.

Curtis played a hybrid safety/linebacker role in high school and should be a massive boost for the defense, one that just lost Ralen Goforth but then brought in a flurry of other players on defense.

The Trojans also added Oklahoma State transfer LB Mason Cobb, so they have brought in a ton of talent over the past few days on defense as that is clearly a priority for the Trojans in 2023 and beyond.

There should be more big names should be coming to USC, but right now, the thought of Tackett joining Cobb, Eric Gentry, and Shane Lee in the linebacker room makes USC’s defense look more robust and formidable than it did a few weeks ago.

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Malachi Nelson and Zachariah Branch make it official, leading the 2023 USC class

The #USC Trojans made it official by signing five-star WR Zachariah Branch and five-star QB Malachi Nelson.

The USC Trojans are making noise at the start of the early singing period. They’re signing big names in Lincoln Riley’s second run on the recruiting trail since coming to Southern California.

On Wednesday, the Trojans got some news they had been waiting for. Five-star receiver Zachariah Branch and five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson made it official and became part of the 2023 class. The future looks bright for the Trojans.

Nelson had visited Texas A&M over the summer, which sparked a ton of speculation, but he decided to go to USC and will be the backup to Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams in 2023.

Branch joins his brother, Zion, at USC. The Nelson-Branch-Makai Lemon trio is the future of the USC offense.

Branch took to Twitter and showed his enthusiasm about joining a loaded squad.

The offense is looking even more dynamic just a couple of days after the Trojans landed Arizona transfer WR Dorian Singer.

Nelson is the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023, and he becomes the third such player USC has signed in the ESPN 300, along with Matt Leinart and Joe McKnight.

There will be plenty more activity throughout the next few days, weeks, and months. As long as Lincoln Riley is in town, this team will be competitive and pushing for a Pac-12 title — and more.

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USC watches defensive lineman Colin Mobley enter the transfer portal

DL Colin Mobley entered the transfer portal. That makes six #USC players headed out the door this offseason, with more likely to follow.

The USC Trojans are busy during the transfer portal season. They landed a pair of studs on both sides of the ball in the past 30 hours. Arizona receiver Dorian Singer joined USC, and that same day they brought in Oklahoma State linebacker Mason Cobb.

But, the Trojans have had their fair share of departures, one of which was Ralen Goforth transferring to Washington.

On Tuesday, defensive lineman Colin Mobley also entered the portal, according to Shotgun Spratling of 247Sports.

“USC defensive lineman Colin Mobley has entered the NCAA transfer portal, sources tell USCfootball.com,” Spratling reported.

“Mobley spent two uneventful years with the Trojans, playing 15 total snaps in three career appearances. He enters the transfer portal following his redshirt freshman season. He has three years of eligibility remaining.”

Mobley didn’t play a single snap in the 2022 season, and in 2021 he made appearances in only three games and played just 15 snaps.

The Trojans landed a few defensive players already — including a couple from Arizona — and now Mobley heads out in hopes of more playing time elsewhere. DL Kobe Pepe also entered the portal, and USC has now seen a total of six players leave the program thus far this offseason.

Mobley drew plenty of interest coming out of high school. The Washington D.C. native chose the Trojans over Michigan, Florida, LSU, and Ohio State, among several others.

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Trojans face Colorado State in tough hoops battle on Wednesday night

The #USC Trojans finish their nonconference slate with a game away from home vs the Colorado State Rams. USC has to boost its low NET ranking.

The USC Trojans are coming off a thrilling win against Auburn on Sunday at the Galen Center. The Trojans got a much-needed top-25 victory, but things don’t get easier with a game against Colorado State on Wednesday night.

The Trojans head to Phoenix to face the Rams, who are 8-4 on the year and hope to be a factor in the Mountain West Conference once again.

However, the Rams have lost to the following teams: Charleston, Penn State, Northern Colorado, and Colorado. The loss to the Buffs is understandable, especially since they defeated Tennessee earlier in the season. However, losing to five-win Northern Colorado is an ugly blemish on the Rams resume.

But, the Rams are coming off a 62-60 victory over St. Mary’s, and CSU star Isaiah Stevens had 23 points with five assists in what was essentially a two-man show for Colorado State.

The Rams shot well against one of the best defenses in the country, and Stevens was named MWC Player of the Week after back-to-back 20-plus point outings.

So, the Trojans have their hands full once again, and going against the Rams should be tough; CSU made the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team last season, the same as USC.

Andy Enfield’s team has won five in a row to move to 9-3 and this is the final non-conference game for both teams.

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Social media goes wild after USC lands elite Oklahoma State LB Mason Cobb

#USC and Lincoln Riley just brought in the No. 2 linebacker in the transfer portal. You can imagine the excitement which lit up Trojan Twitter.

The USC Trojans don’t mess around in the transfer portal, especially with Lincoln Riley in town.

On the same day that they landed Arizona star WR Dorian Singer, the Trojans addressed some needs on defense by landing Oklahoma State LB Mason Cobb.

Cobb was the No. 2-ranked LB in the portal and is a much-needed addition to the Trojans, especially with Ralen Goforth headed to Washington and Tuli Tuipulotu still deciding on his next destination (NFL or not).

Alex Grinch must be happy to land a talented player such as Cobb. Trojan fans and USC reporters and analysts immediately took to social media to share their thoughts:

Trojans make a splash in the portal, land Oklahoma State transfer LB Mason Cobb

The #USC Trojans landed Oklahoma State LB Mason Cobb in the portal, another massive get for Lincoln Riley. Cobb is a sure tackler, exactly what USC needs.

The USC Trojans had a successful Monday by any stretch of the imagination. Arizona transfer receiver Dorian Singer joined the Trojans, and then linebacker Mason Cobb, from Oklahoma State, decided to come to L.A. as well.

Cobb, who is rated the No. 2 linebacker in the portal, chose the Trojans and posted a picture on his Twitter account. USC continues to address the defensive side of the ball in a big way.

The four-star LB is a huge get for Lincoln Riley and DC Alex Grinch, who also landed a few other defensive players over the past few days, including a pair from Arizona.

This is the process of accumulating depth which needs to take place at USC. The Trojans are just getting started. They need to add more pieces at other units, but the linebacker room now looks a lot more beefed up, with multiple pieces coming into the picture. This is, at the moment, the least thin positional unit on the defensive roster. We’ll see what the coming weeks do — if anything — to change that reality.

Cobb led the Cowboys with 96 tackles and 13 for a loss, but Shotgun Spratling quickly pointed out an underrated part of his game that the Trojans will love.

Add on the fact that Shane Lee decided to return for one more year, not to mention a possible return of Tuli Tuipulotu, and the USC defense is looking awfully scary just a couple of weeks removed from the Pac-12 title game.

The Trojans did watch Ralen Goforth transfer to Washington and join Kalen DeBoer’s team, and they also lost out on Coastal Carolina transfer LB Josaiah Stewart, who headed to Michigan.

Nonetheless, Cobb is a tremendous get for USC.

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USC transfer LB Ralen Goforth stays in Pac-12, heads to Washington

The #USC Trojans lost LB Ralen Goforth, who is headed to the Washington Huskies via the transfer portal. It’s the latest transfer between two Pac-12 schools.

The transfer portal is as hot as they come right now, and the Pac-12 has seen quite a bit of movement in recent days. Monday has involved a flurry of activity in the conference, with a number of players transferring between schools within the league.

Earlier on Monday, Oregon commit Dante Moore flipped his decision and headed to UCLA instead of Oregon. Arizona standout WR Dorian Singer dashed for USC, and now USC transfer LB Ralen Goforth has left the Trojans and will stay in the Pac-12 Conference, deciding to play for the Washington Huskies (h/t Mike Vorel of The Seattle Times).

“Goforth — a senior and former St. John Bosco High School standout — announced a transfer to Washington from USC on Monday, immediately following an official visit. The Long Beach, California, product has one season of remaining eligibility,” Vorel wrote.

Goforth announced his decision to transfer from USC following the Pac-12 title game loss to Utah. Now he will play for the Huskies and Kalen DeBoer, who had a magnificent season in his first year as UW’s head coach.

In his fourth season with the Trojans, Goforth had 39 total tackles and a pick-six, which came against Rice. Then he made more headlines with a massive hit on Utah QB Cam Rising in the Pac-12 title game.

Goforth will offer a notable boost to the Huskies’ defense, and he will get one chance to play against the Trojans in 2023 — in L.A.

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Arizona standout WR Dorian Singer heads to USC; Trojans find their Jordan Addison replacement

Arizona star WR Dorian Singer torched the Trojans on Oct. 29. Lincoln Riley now has Singer on his roster and will design plays for him in 2023. Good luck, #Pac12 defenses.

The USC Trojans continue to steal talent away from the Pac-12 on the recruiting front.

Last week, it was Arizona DL Kyon Barrs who came to Los Angeles, offering a big-time boost to the Trojans’ defensive line.

On Monday, Arizona transfer receiver Dorian Singer announced his decision to head to the USC Trojans and play with Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and head coach Lincoln Riley. Singer posted a picture on his Twitter account, confirming what is a massive get for the Trojans.

With Jordan Addison heading for the NFL draft, the Trojans wasted no time in landing another top-end wide receiver to give Williams and the offense in 2023 as they push for a College Football Playoff spot. We could compare Addison and Singer in various ways, and maybe some people would say that Addison is actually better, but that’s frankly beside the point. Singer is genuinely an elite receiver with top-tier playmaking ability. If there is any gap between him and Addison in terms of quality, it certainly isn’t very much. Singer will be a total headache for opposing Pac-12 secondaries next season. Lincoln Riley getting to design plays for him will be a funhouse experience for the USC coach. Fans are going to get some popcorn moments on the field, much as Jordan Addison delivered this past season.

The sophomore led the Wildcats in yards with 1,105 receiving yards on 66 catches and six touchdowns. One of his best games of the year came against USC, in which he had seven grabs for 141 yards and three scores. This is also the third Arizona transfer to head to USC in the past week.

Singer is an electric talent. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound transfer should immediately become a top receiving option for Williams and the USC offense regardless of how the rest of the portal period goes.

The transfer portal is heating up, and after an 11-2 season and a trip to the Cotton Bowl, the Trojans are once again a popular option for some of the best players in the country.

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2023 NFL draft: USC WR Jordan Addison featured in early Todd McShay mock

The New York Giants certainly need elite offensive playmakers. Imagine what Jordan Addison could do for Big Blue. #NFLdraft

ESPN’s Todd McShay released a mock draft this week and had the New York Giants selecting wide receiver Jordan Addison out of USC with their first-round pick.

Currently, with four games remaining this season, the Giants are slated to pick 23rd overall. With the season winding down, mock drafts will be released more frequently in the coming months.

The 2023 NFL scouting combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.

Round 1 of the 2023 NFL draft begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, April 27. Rounds 2-3 will unfold at 7 p.m. Eastern on Friday, April 28, and Rounds 4-7 will occur at 12 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, April 29. The draft broadcast runs throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

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USC hosts coveted, high-value Western Michigan transfer Braden Fiske

The USC #Trojans are hosting Western Michigan transfer Braden Fiske for a visit. He has 13.5 sacks in his college career. This would be big for Alex Grinch.

The transfer portal season is heating up, and the USC Trojans are going to be a hot commodity once again.

Lincoln Riley came in last year and landed a ton of high-profile names, with Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and Oregon star RB Travis Dye as a couple of them, not to mention Jordan Addison.

Before we continue with this story, let’s make one point clear: Pursuing a Mid-American Conference transfer might not seem like that big a deal. The MAC is not stuffed with high-end talent. However, you might remember that Central Michigan offensive lineman Eric Fisher was the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, and he is still in the league a decade later. He has had a very good career, and he’s a MAC product.

A conference doesn’t have to be 10 or 20 deep in talent. Just getting one key prospect from a smaller conference can change everything.

Now let’s continue with our story:

This year should be more of the same for USC in terms of raiding the transfer portal. The Trojans are wasting no time trying to add talent to the roster. This weekend, Western Michigan defensive standout Braden Fiske will be taking a visit to USC as the Trojans continue to shore up the defensive side of the ball (h/t TrojanSeij).

The Trojans already landed in the top three for Coastal Carolina transfer LB Josaiah Stewart, and they got good news when Shane Lee announced he would return to L.A. for his final year of college football.

Alex Grinch and Lincoln Riley need to prioritize getting help on defense, especially after a brutal ending to the season despite having one of the best offenses in college football, which included the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback.

Fiske is a popular name in the portal, and he is fresh off as a visit to Florida State. In 2022, he finished the year with 57 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks, so his presence in L.A. would be a tremendous addition.

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