LAS VEGAS — USC is one week from the start of training camp. Before the Trojans open the doors to the 2023 season, they made the rounds in Vegas for Pac-12 media day Friday.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Lincoln Riley took the main stage in the morning and was the first USC representative to speak to the media. On Thursday, the league announced that the Trojans were the media’s preseason pick to win the conference.
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“Listen, we got a great opportunity in front of us,” Riley said. “I think everybody within our program, every player, senses that and wants to do a great job of taking advantage of this. These windows are short. You only get so many shots at this.”
It was interesting to hear Riley’s urgency. I know there’s optimism among the fan base about what Riley is building for the long term, but I’ve always viewed this as a pretty pivotal year for the program. The College Football Playoff will expand, but the road to the postseason won’t be easy for USC once it joins the Big Ten.
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The Trojans have an elite coach. The Heisman Trophy winner is back. The supporting cast surrounding him should be strong. The defense is more talented than a year ago.
Sure, the schedule is difficult, but it won’t be as daunting as when the Trojans face LSU, Notre Dame, Michigan and Penn State in 2024. That’s not the reason Riley voiced that urgency Friday, but he clearly recognizes USC has to take advantage of this window of opportunity.
2. Whether USC is able to make good on that opportunity will likely come down to depth. The back half of the schedule is loaded with difficult challenges: road games at Notre Dame and Oregon, and home dates against Utah, Washington and UCLA.
Last year, the Trojans’ depth was strained toward the end of the year. Receiver Jordan Addison missed time because of a knee injury. Running back Travis Dye missed the last four games because of injury. Offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees missed the Pac-12 title game because of a knee injury. Those were significant pieces of the offense.
“We were up there in stats and rankings and stuff offensive-wise, but towards the end of the season we had a lot of guys go down offensive-wise, including myself,” Caleb Williams said. “That’s something we for sure have been working on, building the muscle and the fortitude to be able to withstand a 15-game season.”
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Outside of keeping Williams healthy, depth along the line of scrimmage is going to be an extremely critical factor. USC brought in several high-profile transfers on the offensive and defensive lines. The starting units should be strong, but quality depth is still lacking.
3. After adding Georgia transfer Bear Alexander in the spring and Kyon Barrs (Arizona), Jack Sullivan (Purdue) and Anthony Lucas (Texas A&M) earlier in the offseason, the defensive line will be watched closely during camp and once the season starts.
Williams offered his insight on the position group Friday: “Speaking on my side of it, the defensive line has gotten a lot better with its technique. Guys we brought in, guys wanted to make the play, guys understanding what they’re doing, how they’re supposed to do it. The D-line is getting back there. They’re getting back there faster, a lot stronger, whatever the case may be. So it forces myself to progress in my reads faster. It’s been making me better as a player.”
4. Riley hadn’t spoken to the media since Mike Bohn resigned two months ago. I spoke to Riley one-on-one later in the day and had the opportunity to ask him about the upcoming athletic director hire.
“The next AD coming in here is going to have really positive things to work with,” he said. “You got so many of the programs who are really strong, who have really good coaches at the school. The major sports are all in major upswings. The table’s set. You can tell the interest in the position. I don’t know what it was like a few years ago, but people outside realize the table’s set, too.”
5. When asked if he’s been involved in the AD search talks or heard much about how they were going, Riley said, “here and there.”
“You get calls from people you know in the industry,” he said, “and there is a lot of interest in that position.”
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6. As a head coach, Riley has worked for only two athletic directors: Bohn and Oklahoma’s Joe Castiglione. Both of those ADs hired him. So this will be his first time working with an AD who will have inherited him.
Maintaining a good relationship with Riley will obviously be critical for whoever steps into that role.
“I don’t think it’ll be different. It’s a partnership, that’s ultimately what matters,” he said. “I know football is really important to the school. So I’m sure our leadership will prioritize somebody who understands that. I think now the direction’s been set, some things have settled, it could end up being a really positive thing for us.”
7. Back in June while speaking at a name, image and likeness event for USC’s collective, House of Victory, Riley said when he was in discussions with USC about the head coaching job, he had to make sure of two things. One was the possibility of a new facility. The school announced last month a new performance center is in the works.
The other was that NIL was going to be done right. Riley was asked whether NIL will be the main thing the new AD will have to navigate.
“It depends how it all unfolds, but it’s a part of every AD’s job now,” Riley said. “Gosh, is it the main thing? It’s up there, certainly. NIL, what’s it going to look like in 5-10 years, there’s no telling. The one thing we do know is it’s going to change, it’s going to evolve and you better have somebody in leadership who’s navigating that, leveraging that the best they can for the university and the student-athletes. You need somebody who understands it all, though, man. Like my job, that job’s changed a lot in the last few years. Somebody that embraces it, can navigate it and has experience doing it at a high level will be very important.”
8. USC has certainly gone through growing pains in regard to NIL. It launched BLVD, which was an in-house setup, 13 months ago, but that was never truly embraced by the fan base.
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Since then, there’s been NCAA rule changes and the school has been more open to third-party collectives, like House of Victory. After some bumps in the road, USC’s NIL efforts seem to be on stable footing.
Riley was asked about what his role is in regard to emphasizing the importance of NIL to USC’s administration, which is a bit conservative in nature.
“The administration has just asked me to keep them informed on how we’re doing, things we need to be successful, and if there’s anything more they could do to help us be successful,” he said. “Then they’ve got to choose at the end of the day if they want to do it or not. So I try to do my job to inform them the best I can.
“We’ve had a lot of positive signs, but the last six months it’s really accelerated and taken off. Got the right people behind it. I’ve seen a lot of alignment behind it right now, a lot of motivation, a lot of action. Not just people who want it to happen but actually working and putting a lot of effort into it. … We’ve gone through a lot of those and understand more what this needs to be. And I give the people involved a lot of credit for that. It’s in the best place by far since I’ve been here.”
9. Aside from Riley and Williams, USC was represented by linebacker Mason Cobb, an Oklahoma State transfer. Along with the defensive line transfers, Cobb is the reason why there’s some optimism for defensive improvement this fall.
Riley gave a pretty interesting answer when asked what the recruiting process was like for those transfers.
“We wanted guys that were dying to be a part of this program and sensed the opportunity that was there,” he said. “If we hadn’t had that feeling about anybody, we’ve separated and we’ve moved the other direction. I think coaching or playing at USC is one of the great responsibilities in our sport. This is the program that is so important to the sport, to the success of football on the West Coast in general, and has such a great history. I think we should all see it like that, right?
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“We’re not owed the opportunity to do what we do at a place like USC. It’s an honor to do it at that place. It’s a great responsibility. We want a team full of players and a staff room full of people that see it that way.”
10. Five-star freshman tight end Duce Robinson is the most recent newcomer to USC’s offense. He signed with the school in April and will be watched pretty closely during camp.
Robinson doesn’t move like a typical tight end. He’s fluid like a receiver, and at 6 foot 6, 225 pounds, he’s a matchup problem for opposing defenses. Williams has thrown with Robinson during the summer and described him as a “very smart young player. Very humble.”
Williams said Robinson is eager to learn. It’s already been established he’s not going to be a traditional in-line tight end. He’s going to play a variety of roles.
“I’d certainly be surprised if he didn’t have a good impact on our football team,” Riley said.
(Photo of Lincoln Riley: Kirby Lee / USA Today)
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