Lincoln Riley builds intrigue when discussing spring transfer portal

The USC transfer portal is a subject of intense debate. Lincoln Riley added to that debate.

This comment will get a strong reaction from the USC football fan base. At Big Ten media days, Lincoln Riley discussed USC’s transfer portal thought process and the attempt to improve the roster with needed depth heading into the 2024 season. Chris Trevino of USC’s 247Sports site has more:

– In terms of talent acquisitions, Riley made an interesting comment about players they pursued but did not end up going all in on because of chemistry questions: “We ran into a couple of players that we felt like had the talent to help us, but they gave us some reservations on the other part of it.” He also noted that the fall window pool is more predictable than the spring window, adding that he thought this spring pool had less talent than last year.

That’s going to get a lot of comments from USC fans. Was Riley really convinced that spring portal prospects weren’t the best fit for USC, or is this political spin designed to minimize the blow of not landing an important portal piece on the defensive front? We’ll see if USC can make a high-impact roster pickup and boost its defense. Ultimately, what matters is landing a player who can make a real difference.

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