Lincoln Riley, USC making waves as Caleb Williams decision looms

Sat, Jan 22, 2022
NCAAF News (AP)

Unsurprisingly, Lincoln Riley has already had a major impact at USC since being named the Trojans' head coach back on Nov. 28.

The 38-year-old Riley -- who left Oklahoma for USC after serving as the Sooners' head coach from 2017-2021 -- has added several notable transfers as of late, including running back Travis Dye, who led Oregon with 1,271 rushing yards and 46 receptions this past season.

Dye earned honorable-mention All-Pac 12 honors in each of the past two seasons and is expected to fill a void for the Trojans after 2021 starting RB Keaontay Ingram announced that he is declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Dye is not the only notable transfer to announce his intentions to join Riley and the Trojans. Former Oklahoma wide receiver Mario Williams, who was the top-ranked WR prospect in the 2021 class, is transferring to USC as well. He will reunite with Riley after putting together a solid freshman campaign in Norman which saw him haul in 35 catches for 380 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games.

In addition to Dye and Williams, Riley and the Trojans have also added cornerback Mekhi Blackmon and wide receiver Brenden Rice from Colorado, running back Austin Jones from Stanford and cornerback Latrell McCutchin from Oklahoma.

RJ Young breaks down how USC has fixed its college football program by becoming "Oklahoma West" with the addition of Lincoln Riley and Mario Williams.

As of Saturday, the Trojans have already added 10 transfers this offseason, which is two more than the total number of recruits they have secured in the 2022 class.

However, the biggest name in the transfer portal is still out there, as speculation continues to pick up steam surrounding a possible reunion between Riley and his former QB Caleb Williams.

Riley has seen quarterbacks Kedon Slovis and Jaxson Dart leave the USC program since he was named the Trojans' head coach. Freshman Miller Moss, who was a four-star recruit out of Bishop Alemany High School (Mission Hills, CA), is the only quarterback remaining on the current USC roster who took a snap under center this past season.

If Williams is planning to enroll at USC ahead of spring practice, a deadline to make that decision is quickly approaching. According to Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times, all full-time USC students must be enrolled in classes by Jan. 28 in order to take part in the spring semester.

Reports continue to surface surrounding Williams' potential finalists, however, and whether he ultimately chooses to reunite with Riley in the City of Angels remains to be seen.

AP Sports betting analyst Jason McIntyre named USC as one of his "best future bets to make now," adding that the addition of Riley is a determining factor in his pick, with Williams' decision looming.

"The Drakes are gone, and nobody knows who the QB will be, but we can guess it might be Riley's former quarterback at Oklahoma,Caleb Williams," McIntyre said. "(Lincoln) Riley is a terrific coach, and the Pac-12 will be down once again."

While Trojan nation remains in "wait and see" mode when it comes to Williams, one thing is clear: Riley has already brought USC back to national relevance in less than two months.