Lincoln Riley’s Fortunes Take Turn With Latest Move After Clearing Stance on $110M USC Future

Lincoln Riley’s world has been a rollercoaster lately—one moment, he’s on the hot seat, the next, he’s making power moves like a man with a plan. The noise around his future has been deafening. Some swore he was plotting his NFL escape; others thought he was just riding out that $110 million USC deal till the wheels fell off or got fired. But just when folks thought they had it all figured out, Riley went and did something that flipped the entire conversation on its head. A move that didn’t just speak—it shouted. What just happened?

Enter: Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Catholic four-star EDGE Simote Katoanga just made his call, and he’s rolling with USC. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound monster off the edge had a buffet of offers—Oregon, Notre Dame, Ohio State—you name it. But he picked the Trojans, marking yet another February W for Riley and his squad.

This commitment ain’t just some routine signing day formality. Nah, this is a statement. A statement that, despite all the outside chatter, Riley and USC are still cooking. Katoanga’s ranked No. 95 nationally, No. 10 at EDGE, and No. 12 in California, per the On3 Industry Ranking. On3’s own ranking system is even higher on him, putting him at No. 52 overall. And let’s be real—flipping an elite defender in the era of the Trojans’ defense struggles is a massive win.

Katoanga showed love to the USC coaching staff, “One of the biggest highlights of my visit was my meetings with the coaches, I spoke with coach D’Anton Lynn, coach Shaun Nua, coach Eric Henderson, and coach Lincoln Riley. They make me feel needed and like a priority. I love what they are building and can’t wait to see what their future looks like.”

This move also comes fresh off USC flipping four-star quarterback Jonas Williams from Oregon, showing that Riley isn’t just talking about the future—he’s building it. And all this happened just days after he put his foot down on those pesky NFL rumors.

Lincoln Riley’s stance on his $110M USC future

Look, Lincoln Riley’s name getting thrown into NFL discussions is like clockwork in every off-season. It’s been happening since his Oklahoma days, back when he had the Sooners running the Big 12 like a cheat code. Three straight CFP trips? Of course, the league came sniffing around despite finishing 7-6 in the 2024 season. While he made the move to USC, he hasn’t taken that next step to the pros—despite the annual speculation.

On3’s J.D. Pickell recently laid it out: Riley is a “trendy” name in NFL circles, always popping up in hot board conversations. But what did Riley himself have to say? Nah, I’m good. “I just try to stay focused on the job that I have. I keep my feet—just be where my feet are…love this place…sacrificed a lot, me and my family…I believe much in this program. We gave up so much to be here,” Riley told On3’s J.D Pickell on February 21st.

He could’ve easily skated off to an NFL offensive coordinator gig and escaped from that Cali heat—the man’s literally a play-calling genius. But he didn’t. Instead, he’s stacking elite recruits and planting deeper roots in LA. And while USC’s 2024 season wasn’t the fairytale fans were hoping for, Riley ain’t throwing in that white towel. “So, it’s flattering; it’s nice when people say that…not a long-term goal of mine. I love college football..love coaching at USC. I love the job that I have,” Riley said. He even ended with a little cherry on top: “It’s nice of them to say, but I’m a Trojan.”

So, let’s recap. Riley’s name was yet again tossed into the NFL rumor mill. Instead of feeding into it, he shut it down hard—and then went out and made moves. He locked down an elite edge rusher. He flipped a four-star QB, Jonas Williams from a conference rival. And he made it very clear that he’s staying put at USC. For all the noise about Riley’s future, it looks like his fortunes just took a turn—for the better.