Being an independent program and fighting with Power 4 conference giants is no easy task. But Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish made that happen. That’s because they had a weapon in their squad. All thanks to their former GM and Assistant AD Chad Bowden. He was given the role last March. And within a year, Notre Dame underwent a massive glow-up. In 2023, Bowden’s transfer portal efforts helped Notre Dame land the No. 15 class in the On3 2024 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings. However, 2025 is going to be Lincoln Riley’s year as they have now snagged Bowden from Notre Dame. Being new in USC, he is already brimming with confidence and comes with a powerful message. Meanwhile, Riley is following him to the T.

USC backed up their belief in him with a multi-year, $1 million annual deal—a significant jump from his previous $270,000-$300,000 salary. Maybe Riley was having the feeling of missing out on not witnessing the Bowden effect. Lucky ones! The Trojans did not have to wait long to witness the GM’s magic. Riley’s squad has witnessed a surge in recruiting, currently boasting the No. 2 class in the nation for the 2026 cycle. This includes two 5-stars, ten 4-stars, and ten 3-stars. Yes, the man has kept his promise. Back in March, Bowden came with a ‘don’t mess with us’ demeanor. He stated, “Going into the future of the new era of college athletics, we are going to be blazing the trail, [as] opposed to just being a part of it. We’re going to be the leaders in it.”

But things start with gratitude at heart. On3 analyst J.D. PicKell hosted the Trojans’ GM. USC and conference championships have seldom seen each other over the last twenty years, and a national championship game has long been an afterthought. This fuels Bowden’s hunger for bringing the Natty home. The GM shared, “This is the greatest opportunity of my entire life to be the general manager at USC. This is my dream job. That’s why I think I’m so passionate about it. I just want it so bad for the city, I want it so bad for this university, I want it so bad for the Trojan family,… I want it so bad for these kids, I mean it.” And Riley and Co. are leaving no stones unturned to turn Bowden’s wish into reality. 

And what’s the first step towards making the Natty their own? Of course, it’s recruiting. Already, Riley has broken free of a major recruiting myth. As ex-NFL player Gerald V Dixon once exposed the notion that the college football world held about Riley. “Everybody in the recruiting world once heard that Lincoln Riley does not want to recruit California. Shame on us.” So, when the USC HC stepped onto the field fighting against a head coach like James Franklin, who followed, “Dominate the state,” he went into the backseat. But Riley is a changed man now. As Dixon shared, “This 2026 class he’s knocking it out the park.” The Trojans now have a list of in-state recruits.

It includes corner back RJ Sermons (Rancho Cucamonga, California), CB Brandon Lockhart (Loyola, Los Angeles), and DL Tomuhini Topui (Mater Dei, California), among others. However, Riley is yet to hit the ‘SETTLE’ button when it comes to upgrading his recruiting trail. 

How is Lincoln Riley reloading the USC Trojans squad? 

We have seen in 2024 how the Trojans struggled with the offensive linemen. They struggled not because they lacked the talent or size to play the position, but because they were young and frankly needed some time to develop and learn. That’s why Riley jumped into further strengthen the offensive line. They now have their eyes on On3’s No.3 offensive tackle Kelvin Obot and No.8 OT Malakai Lee. Riley and Co. are also pursuing Opelousas (La.) Cathlic On300 receiver Roderick Tezeno.

Even though the Trojans are fighting the race with Houston and Kentucky, they are already on the edge when it comes to wooing the 4-star recruit. As Tezeno sounded all confident, “My visit went great.” Plus, what’s the major factor that makes the players so interested in jumping into Riley’s wagon? “What excites me is that everything is just getting started around there, and I think they’re gonna be doing some big things here in the future.” So, it’s evident that the ‘Chad Bowden factor’ is the reason behind Tezeno’s heavy interest in USC. The head coach did not just focus all his attention on the offensive line.

They also added difference-makers around the line of scrimmage. That’s when the trio: Lincoln Riley, Eric Henderson, and Shaun Nua took up a mission. They have landed No.5 defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart. After this, they are now running the race to land the No.1 ranked jumbo-athlete of the 2026 class, 5-star Lamar Brown. The other two in the line are On300 edge McHale Blade and defensive lineman Ben Boulware. Now, the question is: Will more players jump on the Trojan train, trusting that when Bowden’s in charge, the path is golden?