The USC Trojans’ regular season has been over for a short amount of time, but Lincoln Riley and his staff are wasting no time trying to improve the roster.
With Caleb Williams facing an easy choice to head for the 2024 NFL draft — given that he is the likely top pick — the Trojans are in the quarterback market within the transfer portal.
According to Derek Young, Lincoln Riley made a visit to Kansas State transfer Will Howard.
Young reported that Riley was going to land in Manhattan and meet with Howard on Saturday night, and the rumors started swirling right away.
Howard had a strong season at Kansas State in 2023, throwing for 2,643 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as the Wildcats finished with an 8-4 record.
The Trojans have Miller Moss and Malachi Nelson on the roster, but having a first-time starter take over in the first year of the Big Ten Conference might be a tall task. After the Trojans went 7-5 and missed out on the Pac-12 title game, the pressure is on Riley and the staff — who hired former UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn — to turn things around.
Landing a transfer portal target such as Howard could be a step in the right direction, though with Ohio State’s Kyle McCord entering the transfer portal, the Buckeyes are seeking a significant quarterback upgrade of their own. Is Will Howard a big-enough upgrade for USC? Grayson McCall would seem to offer more upside, as would K.J. Jefferson.
According to my information, USC head coach Lincoln Riley will arrive in Manhattan very soon to meet with transfer portal QB Will Howard of Kansas State @PeteNakos_
— Derek Young (@DerekYoungKSO) December 3, 2023
Yes, correction. Told the meeting between USC head coach Lincoln Riley and Kansas State QB Will Howard already took place. https://t.co/HqcgXmRduC
— Derek Young (@DerekYoungKSO) December 3, 2023
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