Before discussing Riley’s transformative efforts for the team, let’s review some of the greatest achievements of the USC credited to Caleb Williams. He holds a 2022 Heisman Trophy and is a first-round overall pick in the NFL draft, given his past performance. He made history as the Trojans’ starting quarterback from 2022 to 2023, breaking several USC single-season records, including 52 touchdowns scored. Along with that, Caleb’s record for total offense is 4919 yards. The list is long, and we have to talk about other things. Long story short, Caleb was a key player for USC, and everyone knows it. However, Coach Lincoln Riley showcased a lot of positivity on the news of his departure and stated his hope for USC’s future.

“It honestly can be a positive.”. Riley backed his statement by further giving the example that Tennessee won its first championship the next year, when their most famous player, Peyton Manning, left. Then he said that it often happens when there is a player who wins some awards or does great things for the team, just like Caleb did for them, So much attention surrounds the one player, but football is a team game, and there are 21 other players who contribute to the team, and their combined efforts make the team win. That being said, let’s look at Riley’s strategies to polish the team.

Riley believes that with William leaving the Trojans, they can achieve a stronger offense and focus on developing other players, which will benefit the team in the future. He has plans for the upcoming season to set a new identity for the Trojans’ success, which depends not only on a single star player; for that, he had to make changes to the team.

The most important aspect of his plan is to enroll talented players for the 2024 season, which he did by securing top-tier four-star players. Riley is vocal about developing quarterbacks already on the roster. The gap William created, players such as Miller Moss and Malachi Nelson might fill by fitting into his shoes.

Lincoln Willey enters the season without Caleb

Besides that, Riley is well-known for his offense, and for some time, Troy’s defense had been a matter of concern For example, during last season, USC’s defense was not so good, with an average of 407.6 yards and 30.5 points per game, and it impacted USC’s games. To overcome this issue, Riley brought in a new coaching staff, including D’Anton Lynn, who has experience coaching at both the college level and in the NFL as well. As USC’s defensive coordinator, he enters his first season this year.

While talking about the Big Championship, it’s going to be USC’s first year in it. The Trojans are all set to face traditional powerhouses like Ohio State, Pennsylvania State, and Michigan. Riley said that this transition will be challenging for the players, and they have to prepare for the intensity that the championship demands.