It looks like quarterbacks just aren’t ready to play for Lincoln Riley’s Trojans. Gaining high school recruits’ trust in the NIL era isn’t easy, and USC’s 7-6 record isn’t helping either. Remember Julian Lewis? After staying with the team for a while, he switched to the Buffs. Now, another quarterback might be on the same path, but this time, the reason will be different. But one thing remains constant, and that’s Riley’s struggles to win over the next generation of talent.

Now talking about next-generation talent Josh Newberg on the On3 Recruits, while talking about USC’s 5-star quarterback target Ryder Lyons and his interest in the program, asks USC Trojans intel about his status and receives a not-so-appealing answer as he says, “That’s one of his favorite schools, but I look at a place like BYU—the success that they had this season. He’s been on their campus this fall; it aligns with him from a faith standpoint and family ties to that program. BYU is more than a dark horse in that recruitment for Ryer Lions. And then there are several other programs trying to get involved as well.” 

Losing on a five-star recruit who also has the rare ability as a thrower and runner who also accounted for 61 all-purpose touchdowns is really not something Lincoln Riley will wish for. However, family plays a major role in the recruitment process, and that’s evident after Dylan Raiola’s move to the Nebraska Cornhuskers just to take ahead his family legacy, as his father used to play for the team. Just imagine he didn’t join the Georgia Bulldogs and chose the Huskers over them.

Moreover, the USC Trojans are not the only team rooting for Ryder Lyons; they are going to face some serious competition from teams like Ole Miss, Oregon, and Alabama. So, it’s pretty interesting to see which team actually tracks him down. It’s crucial for the Trojans to stay in the race because the transfer portal already gutted the team, leaving a huge hole to fill. With so many players leaving, USC needs to recruit fast and smart to avoid further setbacks.

USC’s transfer portal saw 21 players leaving Lincoln Riley’s team; that’s a very huge number. Plus, it not only includes players with less playing time but also key players like WR Zachariah Branch, their star quarterback, Miller Moss, and safety player Zion Branch. It’s all getting messy around the program. However, it looks like Coach Riley has finally found a perfect loophole to fix his team.

Lincoln Riley’s only hope to save USC’s future

It’s pretty clear that Trojan’s awful season is piling pressure on Lincoln Riley. Plus, his overall coaching record of 23-13 is adding fuel to the fire. Now the only thing that can save them is building a roster packed with potential, but USC’s player losses are hard to ignore. But Riley’s laser-focused on finding a game-changing addition to fill the gaps. As his next move could make or break the season.

Talking about Lincoln Riley’s next move, USC plugs a major hole by hiring Chad Savage as their new TE coach and inside receiver coach. That’s an impressive addition. On the January 8 episode of USCJ LOST IN THA SAUCE PODCAST, they highlight how coach Lincoln and the team scored a bargain. “A part of his signing class in the 2022 class, 2023 class, as well as the 2024 class, Savage has been the highest-ranked recruiter in the Mountain West by 247Sports for three consecutive seasons.”

Well, Chad Savage was a former recruiting coordinator and WR coach for Colorado State whose skill sets did wonders for the team. Who now brings his multi-level expertise to USC. Since 2022, Savage has been turning players like WR Tory Horton into stars under Jay Norvell at CSU, earning him respect in the Mountain West. Plus, he snagged some killer talent, like 4-star WR Jordan Ross—the guy knows how to build a great team. Now, Lincoln Riley just got himself a major asset.

Moreover, in 2022, Savage signed six players to CSU from Los Angeles, but he didn’t stop there. In 2023, it shot up to 10, and by 2024, Ross was the Rams’ top recruit. With Riley losing key players after a bad season, Savage could be just what the Trojans need to turn things around.