Lincoln Riley is giving it his all to improve from a lackluster 7-6 finish from last season. That’s a disappointing drop from his debut season as Trojans HC, where he tallied 11-3. Fans were waiting for him to replicate that brilliance since 2022, but ended up greatly disappointed. Now going into his 4 season, Riley doesn’t have the time to explore options. For this season, he might be in for a sweet surprise as a familiar face returns to the roster.

The 2024 roster was a problematic one for Riley, which did not seem to have the little value it brought forth in 2023. The offense was ranked 23 nationally, averaging 437.2 yards per game and 392 scoring points. That’s not the Lincoln Riley we knew from Oklahoma, who had four double-digit winning finishes during his tenure. He had 12-2 finishes for three consecutive years! The 2025 roster has some promise, and it seems like Riley will be banking on 2 key players on both sides of the football.

First up, the HC can look at Ja’Kobi Lane as a potential pick in the WR room. Lane has played for 2 seasons with USC, and he hasn’t gotten a lot of numbers to show. Last season, he produced 525 yards, but also, surprisingly, produced 12 touchdowns. Lane seems to be an under-exploited talent who could add a lot of impact this year if Riley considers him seriously. The other player who could also up the roster’s standards would be CB DeCarlos Nicholson, who’s putting up a great show in spring practice at the moment. He’s coming back for an extra season of eligibility, following the footsteps of Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia.

USCJ thinks that these two, particularly Nicholson, are ready to add what was missing in Riley’s 2025 roster. He said in an April 9 episode of his podcast, “I’m truly excited not only about what I’m seeing from Ja’Kobi Lane, but what I’m seeing with DeCarlos Nicholson.” The host said that Nicholson’s had some serious intent in making 2025 a great season. “He’s excited, and he’s showing that. He’s grabbing the bulls by the horn and absolutely moving and grooving, as related to how he’s sharpening his cut.” Nicholson briefly stepped into the transfer portal but came back to USC. USCJ noted that both players had made some great plays in the previous season. “He sharpened his tools against the best of the best. Now we could say, ‘Oh well, they’re doing it against USC DBs, ’ who I feel like are good, but he did it against Texas A&M. Ja’Kobi Lane, he did it against multiple teams.” Despite low numbers, these guys have some great potential to be made use of by Riley.

Though Riley’s 2025 roster status is still not able to charm fans, his 2026 seems to be one of some serious value. From the 15 position, USC is up 13 places and sitting pretty on the No.2 position. But those high places are not easy waters for any program because Riley is feeling some heat despite his achievements here.

Lincoln Riley faces a double-blow in his 2026 class

Again, Riley’s problems in the 2026 class lie on both sides of the line. 4-star DL Tomuhini Topui is posing some threat to the HC, despite flipping him from the Ducks a week ago. Entering the battle for the Topui is Ohio State, who has the glittering lure of the 2024 National Championship title. USCJ said that he is expected to take a visit to Columbus soon, which is a major downer for Riley. However, Topui still says USC is his top priority and is probably just testing the waters up north.

The other talent that can potentially slip from Riley’s clutches is Malakai Lee, a 4-star OT prospect from Hawaii. Though Riley hasn’t landed him yet, he will have to fight some biggies first. In Lee’s list of possible picks, USC is joined by Michigan, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and Baylor. Kalen DeBoer seems to be matching up to Riley’s efforts to secure Lee. He just dropped by the Crimson Tide’s campus over the weekend. Lee’s physique makes him capable of doing some serious damage; the kid is 6’6” and weighs 318 pounds. Who wouldn’t want to have him on the roster?

For now, it seems like Riley has his hands occupied, prioritising the improvement of his roster for this year. After last season, the HC absolutely cannot afford a result so poor. While doing this, he must also keep an eye on the 2026 recruiting class and maintain his ranking.