Dan Lanning & James Franklin’s Unthinkable USC Antics Force Lincoln Riley’s Confidant To Step Up

The USC Trojans capped off their 2024 regular season with a 7-6 record. But that’s not the only woes in Lincoln Riley’s resume. The veteran head coach received a lot of brickbats for an underwhelming season in Southern California. Before he could settle the dust, the recruiting flow hit an all-time low as key players chose to depart. You can’t blame them either. Getting out of the fanatics, you will see no point in sticking to a program that has been on a constant declining path for three years.

The man to blame is none other than Lincoln Riley. The coach, with a 25-14 record, had barely reached even close to what he has achieved with the Oklahoma Sooners. But guess what? He has an ace in the hole not to let the 2025 roster slip out of hand.

USC’s secret recruiting weapon gets a huge shout-out from an insider 

The Trojans received blow after blow through the portal. Sophomore wide receiver Zachariah Branch flipped his commitment to the Bulldogs in a trademark move. He had a great season under the belt, with 78 receptions for 823 yards and three receiving touchdowns. But all of this is just a bittersweet memory, now as the third leading WR chose Kirby Smart over Lincoln Riley. Caleb William’s potential successor, Miller Moss, also left the party for the portal. The list is longer. But every setback has a comeback; for USC, D-line coach Doug Belk is showing the early signs.

Addressing the silver line he has brought and remained an unsung hero, insider J noted, ”I don’t think he gets enough credit. Man, I think he’s kind of gone under the radar. I don’t think he’s getting his flowers. I’m about to get this is the show. Today is gonna be dedicated to Doug Belk, and I think Doug Belk might be, you know, really like recruiter of the year.”

Even though Riley has made hundreds of blunders during his three-year tenure. One thing he did on point and that was to swoop Belk into the coaching crew. He was asked to improve and evolve a lackluster secondary after Alex Grinch and Donte Williams failed to live up to the hype. Belk has been doing his job quite well since 2023. He hung on to a lot of high-profile commitments like Marcellus Williams, Isaiah Rubin, and Braylon Conley in the 2024 class. J accredited him for adding Kamari Ramsay and DeCarlos Nicholson to the roster as well.

But it’s not only just about stockpiling talents but also about having the right eye to spot the talent and chisel the best out of each, in the case of Jaylin Smith, the defensive leader of the Trojans. Belk played the role of an ideal teacher who knows his students the best. ”Belk identified the fact that he was more of a cornerback than any other position. Now he’s a Swiss army knife, he’s gonna be that, and the NFL is going to that style of play, but to recognize that and put JaylIn Smith there, you know, you got to say, look, man, this guy knows he has an eye for the defensive backfield,” J added. Smith left for the NFL, but he owed a chunk of his success in USC to coach Belk.

If Riley’s Mr. Reliable can be a little more patient and passive-aggressive at the same time in the portal, the secondary line can truly be elite. However, fellow Big 10 schools’ illegal moves are raising concern amidst the hope.

Oregon and Penn State are getting under the skin of a beleaguered Lincoln Riley 

In the growing NIL allurement and the unhealthy competitive market, schools are rising above their ethics. Instances like player poaching and manipulating have become the norm for all. Recently, Oregon’s head coach Dan Lanning’s activity over the USC roster seems fishy. No wonder the historic Ducks’ head coach led his team to an unprecedented height (a Big 10 championship win) in the 2024 regular season, but that’s not all. He is turning the tide off-field as well. In the recent portal chaos, Lanning consciously or subconsciously targeted the Trojans and swooped multiple players onto his board.

Be it earning a commitment from USC lineman Emmanuel Pregnon, Defensive lineman Bear Alexandar, Jonah Monheim, Mason Murphy, Lanning aren’t getting over his Trojans’ plea. But at what cost? Luring players with a better NIL offer before the season ends calls for justice, a moral justice. But he is not alone on the guilty list.

Penn State is also coming hard for USC’s defensive line. D’Anton Lynn seems to be a lucrative fit for James Franklin’s defensive coordinator spot, Believe it or not, Franklin is trying to manipulate his Penn State ties to get the job done.

However, despite all the odds, Doug Belk, the right-hand man of Riley, can make some real difference if he continues building the roster like a whizz.