Lincoln Riley and USC are heading to another crucial year in the highly competitive Big 10 with a chip on their shoulder. After his lackluster third year, Riley had to take big recruiting steps to reset his $88 million hot seat. But it’s not just about the immediate future. Despite the stern warning from Paul Finebaum that 2024 will be his last with the Trojans, the beleaguered head coach is rather shifting his focus to the 2026 roster building, already boasting a No. 1 recruiting class, mislaying Dan Lanning and Oregon in a close battle. Now, they are about to swoop a four-star offensive tackle from the Canes.

Where do the Trojans stand with the No. 10 OT Keenyi Pepe? Being a towering prospect of his class with a unique set of skills, the IMG Academy kid holds 35 offers and appears to be heavily considering Alabama, Florida, Miami, and USC among that group. He also had a decent view of the Washington football team as he was there during their senior day win over UCLA, and he reportedly plans to take another visit to the West Coast on March 8th on their junior day. But again, when it comes to the Golden State, he is an old hat.

Describing the Trojans’ sway over his recruitment pace, the USCJ Lost in The Sauce podcast host said, ”This is Kobe Pepe’s younger brother, and he’s just a massive guy, so don’t get it twisted, this is a California guy there, Florida thing.” Well, he indeed is. He visited the school several times and has planned two visits back to back in April and June. By far, what he has felt about Riley and the Co was outright impressive and a big positive thing for the Trojans. Pepe spoke to On3 about the USC Trojans and why they are a team that he is highly keen to explore more.

“They’ve literally been calling me every day,” Pepe told On3. “They’ve called me every day for the last week. I’ve been talking to them.” It’s the bond, the connection Pepe is looking for, and coach Riley fills that, developing a very deep and frequent communication with the Miami talent. I mean, he had to. How a seasoned recruiter like Riley could sleep on the immense potential the kid has to bring to the table?

The USCJ host continued, ”You guys know a lot of players go out to the State of Florida and go play at that IMG Academy; however, when you look at his skill set according to his profile, it lets us know that look he is an offensive tackle that flashes pass protection with his quick feet and smooth kick side frequently balanced and in control of his body at all times. So, you’re talking about a guy that has that stationary presence about him, a guy that’s able to get out of that stance very quickly, a guy that knows how to utilize those hands in the passing game as well as the run game and knows how to pull.” His presence can really give a new edge to the Trojans’ offensive depth, and they are moving in the right direction.

Look at the way things are going right now with the recruiting.

”You got to know that USC is able to put the full-court press; you guys see the pictures here; he’s just a towering presence,” the insider says, making a serious cut for Riley. The icing on the cake is that Pepe grew up as a fan of the USC Trojans. Another major factor is the program’s new GM, who is not going to make any chance slip out of hands that easily.

Chad Bowman has a huge plan for the Trojans’ success 

It’s not a coincidence that Lincoln Riley currently boasts of being the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for ‘26. The Chad Bowden effect is on the play, you see! Bowman has an elite vision for the program under his tenure. He is going to follow suit on the former Trojans coach Pete Carroll’s recruiting strategy back in the 2000s. The golden time when another program couldn’t dare to come close to the fence USC has built highly provokes Bowman to rebuild the legacy.

He addressed the Trojans’ faithful about his plan of action to walk on that path of supremacy. The first and foremost thing, he couldn’t just let the grip loose on the local California talents that formed the main foundation during Carroll’s heyday. Bowden recognizes the trick and chalks a step-by-step plan to go back there.

“We’re going to do everything through the city…We’re going to do everything through the state. That’s going to be our primary focus,” he said.”History repeats itself. It always does, and if you look into the fine details of how programs are built and how the place is built, and when success has happened, that was a key part of USC being at the top. My plan and my vision is to bring that back and to take care of this state. The state deserves it,” said Chad Bowden, the new blueblood GM of the program. It’s high time for the other 33 FBS programs to tighten their belts! USC is in remission!