The “Worst coaching job” of the year isn’t a tag you want attached to your name. Lincoln Riley is not having fun, and neither is USC. Standing 4-5 this year, this team took such a massive falloff at the start of the season that it is hilarious at this point. With the latest loss to the Huskies at 26-21, USC does not have a shot at clearing this season with a positive record. You gotta keep in mind that Huskers, UCLA, and Notre Dame are next on the schedule. So what to do now? This is another disappointing season for the USC Trojans; focusing on the future is the only way to recover from this.

And yes, we are talking about high school recruitment. Back on Instagram, Front Office Sports shared snaps of USC’s new $200 million facility. “$200M football performance center” is set to open in 2026,” Front Office Sports wrote in the caption of their post. The Bloom Football Performance Center will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for the players. They will have 2 different outdoor practice fields. One will be of natural grass and the other one will be of turf. It has been reported that the facility will be twice the size of the current Trojans facility, with new locker and weight rooms for the boys.

The area will also have a media room, branding suite, hydrotherapy for the players, and a recovery room. An NFL alumni locker room will be a special surprise for the alumni. So, is this a good move or a bad last-ditch effort to bring back the old glory days?

See, the Trojans still have a long way to go if they plan on making a comeback next year. In terms of the 2025 class, the Trojans have lost 2 different 5-star defensive linemen commits. First to go was Isaiah Gibson, and then was Justus Terry. Adding insult to injury was Hylton Stubbs de-committing from the team.

What does this mean? Well, with the recruiting season almost coming to an end and Lincoln Riley equipped with a borderline disappointing roster, USC can scratch off 2025 as their comeback year unless they fire the entire staff and begin a new hiring process. However, they still have one trump card for next year.

Juju fever is still on for the Trojans

Indiana Hoosiers have been the surprise underdogs this year. Coming off of a 3-9 season, Curt Cignetti has managed to change the face of the game. This team is right now 9-0 on the list going up against Michigan with a 14-3 lead. So, it’s natural that their recruiting staff is going to make some wild decisions.

Back on Instagram, Hoosiers Recruitment posted an update that could signal a positive outcome for Riley and USC. “Indiana will no longer recruit 5-star QB in 2025, Julian Lewis,” Hoosiers mentioned. Now if you have been living under a rock, Julian Lewis is one of THE biggest contenders for the No.1 QB spot in the 2025 class. This guy is 17 y/o, 5-star, and has also received the most accurate passer title from Elite11.

Now, Lewis is already committed to the Trojans, and with Hoosiers backing off, Riley can focus on securing his win. But do keep in mind that Deion Sanders is still in the race. There has been a lot of news surrounding Lewis flipping to Buffs, so that possibility still exists. Regardless, if Riley manages to keep Juju in, then it would be a big win for their 2025 class.