Lincoln Riley took the podium with a clear message—USC is gearing up for a major turnaround in 2025. After a rocky stretch early in the cycle, the Trojans finished strong with a late push in early January. And this is because of some key additions to their front office personnel over the past weeks. They landed 4-star LB AJ Tuitele and 3-star edge Jadyn Ramos to their 2025 recruiting class, which ranked at No. 14 with 24 commits. USC is doubling down on building one of the best personnel teams in the nation. 

At the National Signing Day press conference, confidence was sky-high. On February 6, usc_athletics uploaded an Instagram post featuring the speeches of USC’s “best-in-class coaching and personnel staff.” Of course, Lincoln Riley opened it with a confident statement, “I don’t say this lightly. I think it’s going to be the best personnel, off-the-field staff in the country. That was the goal to build that in the beginning.” 

And that begins with the acquisition of top coaches, including veteran NFL assistant Rob Ryan, who has a message for CFB rivals. “The only people who are going to survive in football are guys that are the alphas, that are tough, that love contact, that enjoy running to the football, competiting at the highest level, and that’s what you still see… And when you’re on this level, it’s the same as professional football. We gotta win.”

Rob Ryan comes to USC with plenty of defensive experience coaching across nine different NFL teams. His overall coaching experience spans 35 years, with 24 at the pro level. With two Super Bowl wins under his belt, he previously served as a senior defensive assistant for the Las Vegas Raiders from 2022-24 before being named the Trojans’ assistant HC for defense/linebackers on January 18. Despite going 7-6 this season, he continues to see Lincoln Riley as an elite coach with an impressive resume.

“Obviously, here I’m joining the best coaching staff in the country,” Rob Ryan said. “Riley is right there with McVay… They’re the best offensive coaches in the country. I don’t care what league it is… that’s just the truth.” In his four seasons in USC, he coached and developed a Heisman winner in Caleb Williams. He also coached two more Heisman winners, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. And now that a defensive genius is on board, 2025 is coming to be a game-changer.

Lincoln Riley’s goal is fixed on the National Championship 

Lincoln Riley may have a good record at USC, but it’s a national championship that’s going to take his career to the next level. After all, that’s the ultimate glory of college football! The 41-year-old HC made his intentions clear in the seventh slid,e where he confessed, “We’re not content with any part of this program being average or even being good. That’s not our mentality.” The goal? “Any part of this program we’re evaluating on is at the National Championship level, and if it’s not… we need to fix it.” 

The first step is always recruiting. And Lincoln Riley knows elite recruiters can bring elite talent. USC made a big splash in their staff recruitment with the addition of GM Chad Bowden, Assistant AD of Recruiting Operations Zaire Turner, and Dre Brown. The Trojans also plan to add former Wisconsin’s director of player personnel Max Stienecker to their already packed staff. 

Things are going down the right path for Lincoln Riley in USC. But the question never really fades—can these hires, these recruits, and this vision finally bring the Trojans to the top?