USC's Investments Finally Seem To Be Paying Off

The trajectory of the USC Trojans football program has fluctuated wildly over the past few seasons. Lincoln Riley took over in 2022 and, after years of mediocrity, USC was a Caleb Williams injury away from playing in the College Football Playoff.

The wheels come off almost immediately afterward.

USC's defense was historically bad in 2023, leading to a 7-5 record. Even with a new defensive coordinator and much improved performance, SC was even worse in 2024, finishing 6-6. They lost a string of high-profile transfers, and rumors of Riley being on the hot seat got louder and louder.

But Athletic Director Jen Cohen led a series of investments into the program that seem to already be paying dividends. They hired a new general manager from Notre Dame, added Rob Ryan to the defensive staff, and beefed up their recruiting with secondary coach Doug Belk.

It's a long way from the 2025 offseason to a playoff berth, but based on the early returns, the Trojans might finally be making progress.

Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans have hired a new general manager for the football program as they look to compete in the Big Ten. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

USC Recruiting Finally Gets Big Win In 2025

After years of losing top recruits to other, more NIL-heavy programs, USC brought in one of the 2025 class' top recruits: Jakheem Stewart.

Then on Friday, top 2026 QB recruit Jonas Williams announced he'd flipped his commitment from Oregon to USC. It's extremely early in the 2026 cycle. Like, really, really early. But out of nowhere, USC suddenly has the #1 recruiting class in the country, per Rivals Sports. On3 Sports has SC ranked as the number two class in the country, just barely behind Oregon.

Again, it's February, and recruiting can change in the blink of an eye in the modern era. But while USC used to routinely sit in the top 3-5, it's been years since the Trojans have been anywhere close to those heights. Let alone top 2.

In 2024, for example, On3 ranked their class 18th. 2022 was 46th. 2020 was 49th. Even if the class does retain its lofty status, that's no guarantee of immediate success. Just ask fans of Texas A&M, where the Aggies have routinely underperformed their talent.  

But the first step in building a sustainable, top-tier program is bringing in top high school recruits. And it seems like USC's investments might finally be paying off.