When Lincoln Riley first landed in Los Angeles, his audacious plan to remake a lacking USC roster on the fly revolved almost entirely around the transfer portal. The Trojans brought in two dozen transfers ahead of his debut season, including their top two running backs, three of their top four receivers, six starters on defense and, of course, a Heisman-winning quarterback.
The plan worked quite well for Riley and Co. at the time. USC won 11 games in 2022 and fell just short of the College Football Playoff.
But it didn’t go as planned over the next two seasons. Riley and his staff relied almost as heavily on quick fixes in the portal — but without the same results.
Now three years later, with No. 7 Oregon awaiting Saturday, No. 15 USC is back on the brink of the College Football Playoff for the first time since Riley’s debut. And it’s gotten to this point by following a totally different plan than the one that worked the first time.
When the Trojans take the field in Eugene, barring some late lineup change, they won’t have a single transfer from 2025 starting on offense. It isn’t much different on the other side of the ball: Safety Bishop Fitzgerald is the only transfer among the top 12 in snaps played on USC’s defense — and his status for the game is in serious doubt because of injury.
It’s rare these days for a Power Four roster to be that home-grown. Oregon, for instance, has seven transfers from its 2025 class in its usual starting lineup. Two of whom were Trojans last season.
There are other explanations for the muted impact of transfers at USC — the simplest being that the Trojans’ 2025 transfer class hasn’t lived up to expectations. Fitzgerald, with five interceptions, has been an essential addition to USC’s defensive backfield, and running backs Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders were both standouts before injuries derailed their seasons.
Beyond those three, just two other transfers have played even 100 total snaps this season: J’Onre Reed, who was inserted at center because of injury, and nose tackle Keeshawn Silver.
But where a disappointing transfer class might’ve sunk the Trojans in past seasons, that hasn’t been the case in 2025.
As far as Riley is concerned, that’s a positive sign for the long-term health of the program. Considering where USC stands nearing the end of his fourth season, he prefers the portal only be used sparingly from hereon.
“It’s been an advantage,” Riley said. “The transfers we did take have largely fit into what we wanted from a culture standpoint. Obviously when you’re taking less guys that you developed in-house, you feel like you mitigate your risk a little bit. … We feel like, for USC right now, that’s right where we need to be.”
That wasn’t where things stood even a year ago, especially for the defense. During the 2024 season, eight of the top 15 players in snaps on USC’s defense were first-year transfers. The year before that, it was six of the top 15.
This season, USC has eight new starters on defense. Fitzgerald is the only transfer. The others were recruited out of high school and worked their way up the depth chart.
“I think the more program kids you can have through high school the better,” defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn said. “They’re doing things your way. That’s the only thing they know.”
It also means trusting the players you do develop, when the time comes. That’s the point where USC’s defense has found itself this season. There have been growing pains along the way.
“The past two defenses, we had a lot of transfer portal guys who were fifth- and sixth-year seniors,” Lynn said. “This team is more talented, but they’re just young. It’s just guys who haven’t played before. There are certain mistakes you have to live through.”
USC won’t be able to withstand many slip-ups against Oregon and its high-powered offense. But the personnel plan that got the Trojans to this point, two wins away from a playoff, is one far more suited to stand the test of time.
The Ducks, in many ways, are a testament to that approach, having made a similar pivot in recent seasons. When they dipped into the portal this past offseason, it was with specific top-tier targets in mind. Two of those just happened to be two of USC’s top players in the trenches from 2024: offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon and defensive tackle Bear Alexander.
Both have found a new stride at Oregon. Pregnon is trending toward an All-Big Ten season as a key piece of the Ducks’ dominant rushing attack, while Alexander, according to Oregon coach Dan Lanning, has “found the best version of himself” at Oregon.
Those holes on both lines might’ve been patched up through the portal before. But Tobias Raymond stepped in at left guard and has been one of USC’s best linemen, while the Trojans have been notably more consistent on the interior without Alexander.
That’s a meaningful mile marker. Even if there are still some bumps to come in the building process.
“I don’t think we’re completely into that next world yet,” Riley said. “We’re further along certainly than we were last year at this time. But I think that’s just going to continue to grow. It’s another reason why we’re so optimistic and bullish on our future here.”
The post How USC’s transfer portal approach has fueled its push to edge of playoff berth appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
