UCLA hiring USC’s director of player development

UCLA hires USC staffer.

The UCLA Bruins football program continues to add to its staff. On Monday, it was reported that UCLA is hiring USC’s director of player development Chris Carter, per a report from John Brice of Football Scoop.

‘Chris Carter, USC’s director of player development the past two seasons, is leaving the Trojans, FootballScoop has learned. Carter is heading across town to UCLA, where he also will work in the Bruins’ personnel department under new head coach DeShaun Foster, sources told FootballScoop Monday.’

Carter played in the NFL, including stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens.

He worked with Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma before coming to USC< and now leaves the Trojans to come to the Bruins.

The USC-UCLA pipeline continues in the same offseason in which UCLA DC D’Anton Lynn went to take the same job with USC before he was floated as a potential head coach candidate to replace Chip Kelly.

Five-star QB recruit Julian Lewis schedules another visit with UGA

Can Georgia football get Julian Lewis to flip from USC

The Georgia Bulldogs continue to heavily pursue five-star quarterback Julian Lewis, who is committed to the USC Trojans.

Lewis attended a Georgia spring practice and has upcoming visits with Colorado (March 22) and USC (March 30). Lewis’ next trip to Georgia is set on May 31, and it will be an official visit.

The five-star prospect recently reclassified from the class of 2026 to the class of 2025. Lewis plays high school football for Carrollton High School in Carrollton, Georgia. Lewis is rated the No. 2 quarterback and the No. 9 recruit in the country, per the 247Sports composite. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound quarterback is the third-ranked recruit in Georgia.

Last season, Lewis passed for 3,094 passing yards, 48 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Lewis was named as the MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year for his efforts in 2023, leading Carrollton to a 11-2 season and 7A quarterfinals appearance.

The five-star will not technically have a junior season. Lewis caught the eyes of college football recruiters with his amazing freshman season at Carrollton. Lewis helped Carrollton reach the 7A state final and set a state final record with 531 passing yards in a loss.

Georgia football has a strong pitch for recruiting quarterbacks. The Bulldogs have 15 first-round picks the past two years.

Eric Bieniemy-D’Anton Lynn matchup has interesting NFL twist

Lynn and Bieniemy know each other from the NFL coaching days.

The UCLA Bruins hired Eric Bieniemy as the new offensive coordinator. D’Anton Lynn left UCLA to become the new defensive coordinator with the USC Trojans.

The Lynn-Bieniemy showdown will be an interesting battle to watch with both guys having NFL experience and being one of the best in their respective roles.

Oddly enough, both Lynn and Bieniemy were on opposite sides of a crucial playoff game a couple of years ago, as Matt Zemek of Trojans Wire notes:

One specific reason this coaching matchup could really pop — spicing up the USC-UCLA football rivalry — is that Bieniemy and Lynn stand on different sides of the game which decided the AFC championship this past NFL season.

Bieniemy coming from the Andy Reid head coaching system with the Kansas City Chiefs, and Lynn coming from the Baltimore Ravens, creates an extension of the Chiefs-Ravens clash of contrasts in the NFL. The Chiefs have set the standard for offensive creativity in pro football, while the Ravens have become the hot defensive model for how to stop elite offenses in football. Michigan’s national championship team in 2023 used plenty of Ravens-centric concepts.

The ties between the Los Angeles coordinators just continues to grow.

One year ago: Reliving JuJu Smith-Schuster’s Super Bowl LVII win with the Chiefs

JuJu Smith-Schuster had a night he will never forget at #SuperBowlLVII. Relive his game of glory and the reactions which poured in.

Former USC Trojans star JuJu Smith-Schuster has had a roller-coaster NFL career. However, none of it mattered after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl one year ago.

Smith-Schuster caught seven passes in Super Bowl LVII. He was held by Philadelphia Eagle defensive back James Bradberry on a third-down pass inside the final two minutes. The holding penalty enabled the Chiefs to drain the Eagles’ timeouts and run the clock down to 11 seconds before kicking the winning field goal with eight seconds left. Smith-Schuster played a key role in helping his team win the Super Bowl. It’s the latest Lombardi Trophy for a Trojan football product.

There was a lot of news attached to Smith-Schuster’s Super Bowl victory. The fact that he was the focal point of the game’s most important and controversial play made him even more central to the postgame conversation. Regardless of what you think about that penalty call, this much is true: Another USC player is a Super Bowl champion.

Ohio State’s new offensive coordinator for 2024 is a strange choice

Ryan Day hiring Bill O’Brien is an interesting choice, to say the least.

Buckeyes Wire shared on Friday that Ohio State has officially hired a new offensive coordinator for 2024.

“OSU announced the hiring of O’Brien as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in a statement just a day after ESPN’s Pete Thamel broke the story. The announcement came from Ryan Day through an Ohio State spokesman.

“I am extremely pleased to be able to add Bill O’Brien to our coaching staff,” Day said in the statement. “He brings with him a wealth of knowledge – and a tremendous amount of success – at both the NFL and collegiate levels. He is an excellent and experienced offensive coach who has run NFL and Power 5 programs and developed some truly elite players throughout his career. He’ll be an excellent teacher and recruiter for us, and he absolutely strengthens our staff.”

Ryan Day, the head coach of Ohio State, and Bill O’Brien will have to replace a key player from their last two seasons, Marvin Harrison Jr. They have two elite receivers returning: redshirt junior Emeka Egbuka and sophomore Carnell Tate. Additionally, they received great news last week when redshirt junior TreVeyon Henderson announced he would be staying for the 2024 season. The Buckeyes also received a commitment from Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins from the transfer portal. The Buckeyes will continue to be active in the transfer portal, so O’Brien’s roster should be filled with offensive talent.

USC is unlikely to face Ohio State this year unless the two teams meet at some point in the postseason. There are two possibilities for this, either the Big Ten Championship Game or in the College Football Playoff, which will expand to 12 teams this year.

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USC will not face Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan at Washington next year

USC won’t have to play Noah Fifita or Tetairoa McMillan in 2024 as members of the Washington Huskies. That’s #B1G.

Arizona Wildcat football fans have a lot to celebrate today. The Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Noah Fifita, and sophomore Second Team All-Pac-12 selection Tetairoa McMillan will be returning to Tucson to play for new head coach Brent Brennan in 2024. Fifita and McMillan explain in a tweet below from Arizona Football, “Tucson we have unfinished business. We runnin’ it back!”

This means that Trojan fans, Lincoln Riley, and D’Anton Lynn might also be celebrating today with the Wildcats. These prime Arizona players will not follow Jedd Fisch, the head coach who recruited them both out of Servite High School in Anaheim, to Washington next season. USC is scheduled to play its (soon-to-be) former Pac-12 opponent in a conference game in the Big Ten on November 2, 2024, in Seattle.

247Sports shared a conversation with Les Fifita, Noah’s father, in which he explains that McMillan and his son had thoughts of leaving, but it was not where everyone was expecting.

“We’ve known Kalen DeBoer for a long time and he loved Noah when he was at Fresno State,” [Les Fifita] said. “He recruited him hard when Noah was at Servite and they wanted both boys at Alabama.

“It’s ’Bama, we had to listen. But, end of the day, both kids felt like they had unfinished business here. Plus, it’s a family here — it really is. We want to keep this thing together and we know the whole team couldn’t go to ’Bama just like the whole team wasn’t being recruited to Washington. This is the best move for everyone and, with Noah and TMac and the core staying, we think we got a great shot to keep everyone else here as well.”

The Wildcats have their dynamic passing duo back for their first year in the Big 12. Fisch will continue to search for a replacement for Heisman runner-up Michael Penix, who is off to the NFL, and Will Rogers, the transfer from Mississippi State who entered the portal again when DeBoer left Washington. Most importantly, the Trojans will not face the trio of Fisch, Fifita and McMillan in 2024, a combination that took USC and Riley to triple overtime last October in the Coliseum.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.

Donte Williams could be San Jose State head coach candidate

Donte Williams’ stay at Georgia might not last very long.

The college football coaching carousel continues to spin. Kalen DeBoer left Washington for Alabama after Nick Saban retired. Jedd Fisch left Arizona for Washington. Then, Brent Brennan left San Jose State to go to Arizona, all in a matter of a week.

Now, the San Jose State job is open, and former USC interim head coach and defensive assistant Donte Williams has been mentioned as a candidate, per Andy Staples of On3.

Williams was at San Jose State was at San Jose State from 2013-to-2015 before brief stints with each of Arizona, Nebraska, and Oregon. He joined USC in 2020 and was named interim head coach after Clay Helton was fired in 2021. 

Williams recently left USC to take a job with the Georgia Bulldogs, so leaving a top program for the job at San Jose State might be a surprising move. Then again, being a head coach for a rising Mountain West Conference program would be a good opportunity for Donte Williams.

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Former USC receiver Mario Williams transfers to Tulane

Mario Williams seeks a fresh start in New Orleans.

The transfer portal keeps on churning in college football. A couple of former USC wide receivers found new homes on Monday.

Dorian Singer landed at Utah, and Mario Williams landed at Tulane, per his X account.

Williams originally was at Oklahoma and was one of a number of players to follow Lincoln Riley from Norman to Southern California. In 2022, Williams caught 40 passes for 631 yards with five touchdowns.

However, in 2023, he had just 29 receptions for 305 yards and a pair of scores. After the rough year, he entered the portal and is now headed for Tulane.

The Green Wave defeated the Trojans in the Cotton Bowl last year, so it’s an interesting landing spot. Williams should be a top target for the new-look Tulane offense under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, the former Troy Trojan coach who is replacing Willie Fritz.

The Green Wave also landed former Alabama wide receiver Shazz Preston in the portal.

The changes keep on coming for the USC roster. Caleb Williams also officially declared for the 2024 NFL draft on Monday, to the surprise of no one.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.

College Sports Wire evaluates USC as a Will Rogers landing spot after Washington flip-flop

It is highly unlikely USC will pursue another starting QB after landing Jayden Maiava to back up Miller Moss.

With Kalen DeBoer going from Washington to Alabama after Nick Saban’s retirement, there are a lot of moves which will soon be made, reshaping the Huskies’ roster.

One player who has re-thought his choice is quarterback Will Rogers, who transferred from Mississippi State and was expected to take over the starting role at Washington. With Michael Penix Jr. going to the NFL, it looked like Rogers would start.

However, after DeBoer went to Alabama, Rogers re-entered the transfer portal. He should have a good number of suitors, and Ryan Haley of College Sports Wire listed USC as an option:

“This would admittedly be a bit of a surprise since Miller Moss and new transfer Jayden Maiava are expected to battle for the USC starting spot, but not a big one. Both of those quarterbacks have multiple years of eligibility remaining and Rogers has just one. Moss has thrown 92 collegiate passes, and Maiava has one year of starting in the Mountain West under his belt. After USC lost five of its last six games in the regular season, head coach Lincoln Riley might want a little more experience as the Trojans make the jump to the Big Ten.”

Sure, USC just landed UNLV transfer and former Georgia commit Jayden Maiava. Miller Moss looked unreal in the Holiday Bowl.

That said, Rogers could bridge the gap for one year. Other teams Haley lists include Auburn, Houston, and Alabama, among others.

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Will USC finish ahead of Ohio State and Penn State in the 2024 Big Ten football standings?

USC versus Ohio State is a fascinating comparison in 2024.

We’re talking Big Ten football here, since the next college football season will be USC’s first in the Big Ten.

We asked our football panelists if USC will finish ahead of Ohio State and Penn State in 2024.

Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire: Certainly ahead of Penn State. If the Trojans can land some defensive and offensive tackles in the spring portal window, they have a chance at surpassing Ohio State as well. Right now, though? USC probably finishes behind the Buckeyes.

Zachary Neel, Ducks Wire: No, I don’t think that USC will finish ahead of Ohio State or Penn State in 2024. Who is their quarterback? Is Miller Moss going to lead them to instant success in the Big Ten? It’s possible, but I wouldn’t call it probable.

Matt Wadleigh, Trojans Wire: This is a tough one for me, and I believe D’Anton Lynn will make this team much more competitive. Is Miller Moss the quarterback who can make it happen? Until we get that answer, I have USC behind both programs in 2024.

Don Smalley, Ducks Wire: No. USC’s QB situation is in flux.

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