The sheen of realignment to the B1G dissipated rather quickly for USC after a lackluster 2024 season. A bit of a reality check for the Trojans and Lincoln Riley. Hovering around .500 isn’t gonna cut it, and the further we drift from his time at Oklahoma, the more traction Coach Riley seems to lose. USC has spiraled from 11 wins in 2022 to 8 in ‘23 and 7 in ‘24. His stock and perception have taken a hit. But things change quickly in this sport. That Cali sun is shining on the program once again.

New GM Chad Bowden’s arrival from rival Notre Dame has coincided with an upturn in fortunes. He’s no Trojan horse in cahoots with the Irish, mind you. Known as a recruiting whiz, Bowden’s been going to work on that front. USC boasts the best recruiting class in the country for 2026. But while that’s spewed positivity around the Trojans, Lincoln Riley’s still got the ‘25 season to traverse. An uptick in the win column is requisite with little maneuvering. But maybe what’s even more paramount is for Riley to get that offense humming again. His bread and butter, his claim to fame. That “quarterback whisperer” monicker is yearning to be justified again. Well, if USC wants offense to be their modus operandi, you’ve gotta address the key to the entire operation. This spring transfer portal window, they’re doing just that.

Making sure you’re equipped in the trenches when preparing for war is transitive to football as well. The line of scrimmage is where games are won or lost. Not that they needed it, but the Super Bowl reminded the football sphere how even the best QB in the world is rendered futile without good O-line play. Lincoln Riley recognizes this and is looking to bolster his pass protection. He has identified a pretty rogue OT in the transfer portal. One that’s a 3x National Champ, albeit there’s a massive caveat- they came in Division 2 football.

Ferris State grad transfer Bryce George has an FBS suitor in USC, among others. While he’s coming over from a rung below and that naturally spawns some prejudice about his capabilities on this level, George was a beast at Ferris State. An All-American, All-Conference caliber player. Plus, at 6’5, 315lb, he’s got the physical tangibles to translate to the highest level of College Football. On3’s Pete Nakos reports that Bryce George is set to visit USC imminently. 

You’d expect that to be once the portal officially opens on April 16th. However, insider Marc Kulkin, over the Locked on USC podcast, stated he was already on campus on Monday, April 14th. He seems to have taken charge of the situation, but Coach Riley’s path to adding this veteran with 41 games under his belt is far from linear. Pete Nakos reports that UCLA and Iowa are also due to receive visits from Bryce George. Lincoln Riley not having his finger on the pulse of USC’s offensive shortcomings was a blunder for someone of his ilk and reputation. Adding depth to that OT room is shrewd. It remains to be seen if they can indeed land the services of Bryce George. In addition to this development, there’s some more good news reverberating off the Pacific Coast. In fact, it’s causing tremors all the way in the southeast.

Lincoln Riley is looking to flip Georgia commit Vance Spafford. The 4-star WR prospect is a Cali native, and the aforementioned Chad Bowden has been vocal about wanting to build a fence around the state and keep building the program with local talent. The proximity factor is something Spafford has acknowledged plays a part in his final decision. “I’m still open-minded and listening to everything,” said Spafford. “USC is in my backyard, so it’s hard to ignore. They’re very nice — still reaching out to all the coaches. They’re very loving there, and they have a lot of steam rolling for them. We’ve had good talks, and it’s good to have that home love.” Both George and Spafford are plotlines worth keeping an eye on. But speaking of California natives, 5-star true freshman Husan Longstreet is breathing down QB1-elect Jayden Maiava’s neck.

Lincoln Riley’s praise for Husan Longstreet doubles as a potential warning for Jayden Maiava

When that Nico Iamaleava bombshell dropped over the weekend, many believed Lincoln Riley and USC would be a part of the sweepstakes. There was a rationale behind this notion, too. Riley obviously loves his QBs, and Iamaleava is a West Coast native. However, they’re reportedly uninterested. A sign of trust in Jayden Maiava, but also a potential sign of how far early enrollee Husan Longstreet’s already come. Coach Riley spoke glowingly about his freshman.

“Husan is further ahead than most freshmen at his time,”  said Riley. “He came to a lot [of] meetings, came to a lot of practices on his own time, on his own dime…His ability to communicate and manage the group right now as a young guy is pretty impressive.” For a coach who’s developed multiple Heisman winners and NFL All-Pros, this is resounding. Does Maiava need to potentially look over his shoulder?

It’s unlikely Longstreet will win the job come fall, but it’s not outside the realm of possibilities. Alas, iron sharpens iron. Healthy competition in the QB room is only going to be good for USC’s fortunes. At the very least, Riley’s words are a reassurance that the long-term future of the program looks good. They’ll hope to add Vance Spafford to the mix as well. As for their immediate future, Bryce George will be a solid stopgap.