It’s scoop time! USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley lifts the curtain on his program’s NIL scenario. And guess what? It clearly shows some significant improvement. When Riley boarded the USC bus, NIL and collective programs were the areas that lagged. However, look how the tables turned now that the HC oozes confidence to have aced the fight by throwing away their “toy sword.”

This is a big boost for the Trojans, particularly after their disappointing conference record of 5-4 last season. Meanwhile, is it Riley’s attempt to shift the focus that is otherwise garnered by Pete Carroll, who is ready with a return ticket?

Things were tough on Riley when he took over the Trojans’ reins in 2022. All he had to bank upon was the transfer portal to build his roster, even though he made the most out of it by landing high-profile additions. The notable transfers included QB, Oklahoma transfer Caleb Williams, and wideout Jordan Addison from Pittsburgh. But not anymore. As the Trojans HC gears up for his Year 3, he counts on high school recruiting. Ever wondered what’s the reason behind this swap? It has to be NIL. And as planned, USC has already started to show significant improvements. On Thursday, August 22, he reiterated what he had highlighted at the Big Ten Media Days, “You don’t want to go to a gun fight with a knife. In the beginning, we were going to a gun fight with a toy sword.”

And how did Riley and the company achieve it? All thanks to the House of Victory, the nonprofit collective of service that the Trojans launched in April 2023. The notable wins this season have been Mississippi State running back Woody Marks, the team’s star defensive tackle Bear Alexander, and UNLV quarterback Jayden Maiava. Since early 2023, USC has had three NIL collectives, of which Conquest Collective would no longer exist as the co-founder Jeff McKay will now join hands with the House of Victory. All these upgrades happen just as Carroll is about to make his grand comeback to USC.

Pete Carroll and Lincoln Riley will be on the same boat

The big news dropped when the ex-Seattle Seahawks and former USC coach appeared on Sports Radio 93.3 KJR-FM on Tuesday, August 20. This time, the confirmation came from Carroll himself, who stated, “I’m looking forward to that. It’s going to be a really exciting endeavor when it’s finalized and all that.”

The very next day, Riley’s program also issued a statement, “We are excited to welcome Pete Carroll home to USC in a new capacity in which he can, as a legendary coach and leader, share his knowledge and experience with our students.” However, there has been no solid confirmation of his role. All that the 72-year-old former HC delved into was the fact that he would head back to USC as a teacher for the spring class.  

But mind you, Carroll stressed he hasn’t lost his competitive edge. Now that he would be back with a suitcase filled with life lessons from his 14-year-long run with Seattle and eight years with the Trojans, should Lincoln Riley be alarmed? Let your opinion pour in!