Tag: lincoln riley

Saints legend’s new dream: Leading his alma mater to a national championship

Reggie Bush led USC to a national championship as a player, and his newest desire is to deliver another college football title as a coach:

Reggie Bush made his name as one of the most electrifying college football players of all time at University of Southern California before being drafted by the New Orleans Saints. Bush is now looking to make his return to his alma mater but as a head coach.

There’s precedent for his hope.

Deion Sanders recently rose to prominence for excelling with limited coaching experience at Jackson State before moving to the University of Colorado. Tennessee State hired Eddie George in 2021. This past offseason, Michael Vick (Norfolk State) and Desean Jackson (Deleware State) were also hired.

Alabama State’s Eddie Robinson Jr. doesn’t have the profile of the previously mentioned players, but his journey is most reflective of Bush’s desires. Both men stayed connected to football after retirement through being involved in media. Most importantly, Robinson Jr. has been given the chance to lead his alma mater.

Bush’s ultimate goal is to “come back and be the head coach of USC at some point and help lead USC to a national championship.” His desire doesn’t just stop at USC. He reached out to Sacramento State about their vacancy this offseason as well.

Bush doesn’t have any experience coaching but likely sees other former players get opportunities with the same resume. Now that Bush has made his desire to coach known, he will be on the radar for any school trying to make that kind of splash. One thing to watch is will he try to build any coaching experience to make himself more attractive for head coaching openings. Maybe he’ll replace Lincoln Riley at USC some day, but for now he’s searching for his first opportunity to lead a program.

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Penn State DC hire makes USC’s retention of D’Anton Lynn more impressive

Penn State just hired elite defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. USC was ready to keep D’Anton Lynn away from Happy Valley. The Trojans did something right.

Two weeks ago, USC made a big move by extending fast-rising defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. The move came amid interest in Lynn from Penn State, his alma mater, for its defensive coordinator position.

On Sunday, the Nittany Lions announced their new defensive coordinator, and it was a big name. Penn State was able to poach star DC Jim Knowles away from Big Ten foe Ohio State. Less than a week removed from winning a national championship with the Buckeyes, Knowles will now head to Happy Valley to work in the same role.

The Knowles hire only makes USC’s retention of Lynn look all the more impressive. Clearly, Penn State was willing to pay top dollar to pry a top candidate away from an established powerhouse. The fact that the Trojans were able to hold onto Lynn despite the Nittany Lions’ push further highlights USC’s strong investment in the football program.

As we wrote over the weekend, this also means there are no excuses for head coach Lincoln Riley. The athletic department has spent significant money to retain his highly touted defensive coordinator and hire general manager Chad Bowden away from rival Notre Dame. If the Trojans flop on the field yet again in 2025, Riley will have no one but himself to blame.

After GM hire, there are no more excuses for Lincoln Riley

USC has invested heavily in the football program. It’s put up or shut up time for Lincoln Riley.

Lincoln Riley is on notice. On Friday, USC made headlines when the Trojans hired general manager Chad Bowden away from rival Notre Dame.

The move represents a significant financial investment on the part of the Trojans. USC is reportedly paying Bowden more than $1 million to spurn South Bend for Los Angeles.

Bowden is not the only major investment USC’s athletic department has put into the football program of late. The Trojans recently gave defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn a hefty extension to stick around amid interest from his alma mater, Penn State. They have also assembled a deep staff featuring defensive line coach Eric Henderson, new linebackers coach Rob Ryan, and new tight ends coach Chad Savage.

As Connor Morrissette of 247Sports put it, “USC is paying top dollar for its head football coach, defensive coordinator and general manager. Make no mistake, there is no lack of support.”

Without a doubt, this is a great thing for the USC football program. It also comes with expectations: Robust support from the administration also means there are no more excuses for head coach Lincoln Riley.

USC has given Riley all the resources he needs to build an elite program. Now, it falls on him to go out and do so. If the Trojans fail, it will be because of Riley, not a lack of support from the administration.

Given the significant financial investment that USC has put into the football program, the Trojans’ 15-11 record over the past two seasons is simply nowhere near good enough. It is completely fair for fans to expect much more from Riley’s Trojans given the resources at his disposal.

USC has invested heavily in the football program. Now, there are no more excuses left for Lincoln Riley. It’s put up or shut up time.

USC poaches Notre Dame’s GM

USC goes to Notre Dame to shore up its football operations. It’s a show of respect and a real attempt to get better.

At long last, USC football has a general manager. On Friday afternoon, 247Sports reported that the Trojans will be hiring Notre Dame’s Chad Bowden as their new GM. The hire fills a significant void in USC’s recruiting operations department.

The son of former MLB executive Jim Bowden, Chad Bowden came to Notre Dame in January of 2021 along with defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman. When Freeman was promoted to head coach following the 2021 season, he put Bowden in charge of the Irish’s recruiting. This past season, he served as Notre Dame’s assistant athletics director and general manager.

Prior to the Bowden hire, USC had been operating without a clear general manager. Dave Emerick had been acting as a de facto GM of sorts, but the Trojans’ recruiting and NIL operations seemed to lack a clear and unified direction.

According to reports, USC will pay Bowden more than $1 million to hire him away from South Bend.

In addition to making the Trojans better, the hire makes the USC’s biggest rival worse. Just four days after a loss in the national championship game, Freeman and the Irish will now be looking for a new general manager.

USC not ranked in ESPN’s way-too-early top 25 for 2025

USC football is not in preseason top 25s for 2025. Is anyone surprised?

The 2024 college football season may have just ended, but it is never too early to start thinking about 2025. Following Monday’s national championship game, ESPN released its way-too-early top 25 for next season. Not surprisingly, USC football did not make the list.

After a massively disappointing 7-6 campaign in 2024, the Trojans have seen significant departures to the transfer portal. USC has added some important pieces through both the portal and recruiting, but the Trojans have not done nearly enough to suggest that they will be significantly better in 2025. It will be up to Lincoln Riley’s team to prove otherwise.

Obviously, there will be significant roster movement between now and the start of the season in August. But barring several major additions, it appears as though USC will start next season on the outside looking in.

Four of USC’s 2025 opponents did make the list: Notre Dame at No. 4, Oregon at No. 6, Illinois at No. 13, and Michigan at No. 21. The Trojans will play all of those teams except the Wolverines on the road next season.

Of course, preseason rankings in August mean absolutely nothing, let alone ones in August. Right now, the national perception is that USC will not be a major player in the Big Ten or playoff races in 2025.

Will Howard didn’t come to USC, but he’ll forever be a Trojan hero

Will Howard prevented Notre Dame from winning the national championship. He helped USC after all.

13 months ago, it appeared highly likely that then-Kansas State quarterback Will Howard would transfer to USC. On3’s Pete Nakos even went as far as to log a USC prediction for Howard. With Caleb Williams off to the NFL, it appeared as though Lincoln Riley had found his quarterback for the 2024 season.

As we all know, however, plans can change in a heartbeat in college football. Williams opted out of the Holiday Bowl against Louisville, and backup Miller Moss lit up the Cardinals, throwing for 372 yards and six touchdowns. With Moss seemingly entrenching himself as the Trojans’ starter for 2024, Howard headed to Ohio State instead.

The move had a massive ripple effect, leaving fans wondering what might have been had things played out differently. While the Trojans struggled with Moss eventually losing the starting job towards the end of the season, Howard led the Buckeyes to the national championship.

But even though Howard never took a snap for the Trojans, he will always be a hero to USC fans. Because en route to the national title, he slayed three of the Trojans’ biggest foes.

Against Oregon in the Rose Bowl, Howard threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-21 blowout win. The performance ensured that the Ducks’ remarkable run of having never won a national championship continued, much to the delight of USC fans.

In the Cotton Bowl, Howard threw for 289 yards and a touchdown, as the Buckeyes held off the Longhorns 28-14. Although it was not Howard’s best performance, it was enough to ensure that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian—who had an ugly breakup with USC in 2015—did not win a title before the Trojans did.

Finally, in the national championship game, Howard and the Buckeyes went up against the Trojans’ greatest foe: Notre Dame. Behind Howard completing 17 of 21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns, Ohio State rolled to a 34-23 win, preventing the Irish from winning their first national championship since 1988.

Will Howard may have never even played a snap for USC. But he prevented three of their biggest foes from winning a national title. And for that, he will always be a Trojan hero.

Another USC football alumnus enters high school coaching

Austin Jones will be one of the youngest high school head football coaches in the United States. Good luck, Austin.

Last month, legendary USC quarterback Carson Palmer made headlines when it was announced that he will serve as a high school head coach this fall. As it turns out, he will not be the only USC alum to do so. Earlier in January, it was announced that former USC running back Austin Jones will be the new head coach at Lakeside High School in Lake Elsimore, California. At 23 years old and just one year removed from his last season of college football, Jones will almost certainly be one of the youngest high school coaches in the entire country.

This week, Jones posted a video on X/Twitter of his new office. His desk features helmets from both USC and Stanford, the two schools he played at.

After three seasons with the Cardinal, Jones transferred and played for the Trojans in 2022 and 2023. His best performances came in rivalry victories at the end of the 2022 season, when he was called into the lead back role due to a season-ending injury to starter Travis Dye. Against UCLA at the Rose Bowl, Jones rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns as USC took down their crosstown foes. The following week against Notre Dame at the Coliseum, Jones rushed for 154 yards and averaged 6.2 yards per carry as the Trojans defeated the Irish.

Jones signed with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 NFL Draft. However, he did not make the final roster and was released on August 27.

Now, Jones will be getting back into football—just on the other side of the aisle this time.

USC fans relieved as Notre Dame loses national championship game

Notre Dame didn’t lift the championship trophy, so there’s that.

Like all college football rivalries, the long-standing feud between USC and Notre Dame is based on hate. It should be no surprise then that fans of the two schools generally do not wish the other much success.

Hence, USC fans did not particularly enjoy watching Notre Dame’s run to the national championship game. While the Trojans were struggling to even make a bowl, the Fighting Irish had a legitimate shot to win a title.

On Monday night, however, Notre Dame’s run came to an end. The Irish fell 34-23 to Ohio State in the title game, giving the Buckeyes the national championship.

With Notre Dame losing, USC fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Although it was largely a miserable college football season for supporters of the Cardinal and Gold, at least it did not end with the Trojans’ hated foe winning the national title.

Notre Dame’s loss extended the Irish’s national championship drought to 36 years, dating back to the 1988 season. While Notre Dame has largely dominated the rivalry in recent years, USC fans can at least take solace in the fact that the Trojans have a national championship this century (two of them, actually) and the Irish do not.

USC and Ohio State have never particularly cared for one another—especially now that they are conference foes in the Big Ten. But for one night only, the Trojan Family says: Thank you, Buckeyes!

USC signees take center stage at Polynesian Bowl

Husan Longstreet shined at the Polynesian Bowl. That’s the news USC football fans wanted to hear.

This past Friday night marked the annual Polynesian Bowl. An annual event held in Hawaii, the Polynesian Bowl serves as an all-star game of sorts for many of the top high school football players in the country.

Since the event was first held in 2017, numerous USC signees have played in the Polynesian Bowl. Notable game alumni who have gone on to star at USC include Brett Neilon, Isaiah Pola-Mao, Talanoa Hufanga, and Tuli Tuipulotu.

This year, there were five USC commits in the game: Quarterback Husan Longstreet, wide receiver Tanook Hines, cornerback Alex Graham, cornerback Trestin Castro, and linebacker Matai Tagoa’i. All but Tagoa’i are enrolled early at USC and plan to participate in spring practice with the Trojans. Hence, the event essentially served as one final high school showcase for them before they enter their college careers head on.

Longstreet, the Trojans’ five-star quarterback signee, stole the show, earning the game’s MVP honors. He also went viral on social media for throwing a ball 78 yards during a skills competition at the event.

With the Polynesian Bowl wrapped up, Longstreet and the other signees will now head back to LA. USC resumes classes on Tuesday, and the football team will be doing plenty of workouts to prepare for spring ball.

USC lands wide receiver commit with familiar name

USC adds a very familiar name to the Trojan football family.

USC football’s 2025 signing class has a late addition. On Monday morning, the Trojans picked up a commitment from three-star wide receiver Cameron Sermons. A native of Rancho Cucamonga, California 247Sports ranks Sermons as the No. 166 athlete in the class of 2025, and the No. 186 player in the state of California. He is not currently ranked by On3, Rivals, or ESPN.

Sermons’s name is a familiar one for USC fans. His younger brother, RJ, is a four-star cornerback committed to the Trojans in the class of 2026. In addition, their father, Rodney Sermons, played at USC in the 1990s.

According to On3, Sermons will join the Trojans as a preferred walk on and enroll at USC in June.

USC’s 2025 recruiting class currently sits at No. 14 in the country, per On3’s rankings. That is solid, but not nearly what was expected out of Lincoln Riley when the Trojans paid top dollar to hire him away from Oklahoma three years ago. Three years in, Riley has yet to sign a top-five class at USC—which was the expectation when he was hired.