The promise of sunny skies in Southern California seems to have been replaced by storm clouds for Lincoln Riley. When he arrived at USC, he was supposed to be the golden ticket, the quarterback whisperer who would transform the Trojans into perennial contenders. Three years later, the whispers have turned into murmurs of discontent. Riley may have walked the beaches of Los Angeles with Caleb Williams—a generational talent and a Heisman Trophy winner—but the tide is turning, and patience is wearing thin. “Three years four five tell me when is the honeymoon over,” is the cry now for the Trojans insiders.

You’d be let go for thinking a school on the Pacific coast, located in a city that’s probably the biggest sports market in the country, would be the biggest beneficiary of the NIL and transfer portal era. But USC insider Marc Kulkin pulled no punches on the Locked On USC podcast, laying out why the honeymoon is over. “Be a more pragmatic Coach Riley,” he urged. “He brought in Caleb Williams with him in 2022. If you didn’t have Caleb Williams, you more than likely would have had Jackson Dart. So let’s not complain that USC didn’t have a quarterback.” Add to that his reputation as a quarterback guru, and despite these discernible advantages, USC is falling further behind the 8-ball.

Lincoln Riley has struggled to stack his depth chart in a way that inspires long-term confidence. The numbers tell the story. After Williams transferred from Oklahoma, Riley’s only other quarterback recruit in 2022 was Jake Jensen, a junior college transfer who is now playing for the Montana Grizzlies. The following year, 5-star QB Malachi Nelson—a touted local recruit—joined the Trojans but has since bounced around, eventually landing at UTEP. And in 2024, Riley had to fend off Georgia to secure a commitment from Jayden Maiava, a transfer, rather than landing a high school prospect. “No high school quarterback,” Kulkin emphasized. That’s a glaring hole for a coach who is supposed to be building a dynasty.

Adding to the pressure is the backdrop of Riley’s own reputation. He’s the ‘quarterback whisperer,’ the coach who turned Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts into household names. Yet, the Trojans’ quarterback pipeline appears to be leaking talent as quickly as it’s being replenished. “In 2023, you had Williams transfer over with Lincoln Riley,” Kulkin explained. “Your only other quarterback you brought in that year was a JC transfer… And let’s not forget last year, Riley had to fight off Georgia to get Jayden Maiava. No high school quarterback.”

The missed opportunities don’t stop there. Lincoln Riley swung and missed on Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava, a 5-star talent many believed could have been the next great Trojan. While fans cling to the hope that 5-star Husan Longstreet can be the solution, it’s clear that Riley’s quarterback room is more fragile than formidable. And in the Big Ten, where depth and toughness often trump flash and finesse, that’s a dangerous place to be.

USC’s transition to the Big Ten was supposed to mark the beginning of a new era. One where the Trojans could leave behind their Pac-12 woes and compete on a national stage. Instead, it has exposed the cracks in their foundation. Recruiting hasn’t kept pace with expectations, and the defense remains a glaring issue. Rewinding time to the good old days when coach Riley was with the Oklahoma Sooners. He led OU to 4 conf. Championships in 5 years. And 4 of his quarterbacks are NFL starters today, and 3 won the Heisman. This disdain was reflected by the veteran insider when he called the coach to “adapt”. Did he listen? Probably.

Lincoln Riley might not be turning a deaf ear

“Lincoln Riley’s a quarterback whisperer. Quarterback should be lining up, right?”, this was the USC insiders’ question that the coach might have gotten few ideas from. USC head coach Lincoln Riley is pulling out all the stops to land one of the most coveted recruits in the country: five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons from Folsom High School. Riley recently made a personal visit to the Northern California powerhouse to check in with Lyons, who’s not just the top player in the state but also one of the most exciting talents in the 2026 recruiting class.

The Trojans have been laser-focused on Lyons for quite some time. And now, with his senior season on the horizon, Riley is making it clear that he sees Lyons as the future of USC football. The buzz around Lyons has only grown louder, with two crystal ball predictions from 247Sports experts Tom Loy and Greg Biggins already pointing toward the Trojans.

Biggins, in particular, couldn’t hold back his praise, predicting Lyons could very well end up as the No. 1 quarterback in his class. “Lyons is on the shortlist when talking about the top overall signal caller in the ’26 class,” he wrote. Seems like the USC coach could finally have Kulkin’s high school QB answer.