USC coach Lincoln Riley does not expect to hit the spring transfer portal hard for reinforcements, instead weighing a few players to help bolster his steady roster. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
When the transfer portal opened for its spring window in each of the past two years, Lincoln Riley still had important holes to fill on his roster. In 2023, USC picked up a starter on the offensive and defensive lines. In 2024, the Trojans brought in a starting cornerback, starting defensive tackle and kicker to put the finishing touches on its depth chart.
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But after two springs scouring the portal for potential starters, the Trojans’ needs aren’t anywhere near as glaring in 2025. And with transfers seeking huge paydays ahead of the impending House settlement, prices have never been higher, either.
So when the portal officially opened for business Wednesday morning, USC had no plans to make major waves. Finally, ahead of Riley’s fourth season, he could afford to sit back and be selective with the spring portal while focusing most of the staff’s attention on growing its top-ranked 2026 class.
“The big thing for us is to just build a roster that doesn’t have to be too reliant on the spring portal,” Riley said. “I certainly feel like there’s less needs on this football team than maybe in some of the years past when we’ve got to this point.”
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There was no escaping that reliance on the portal in previous seasons under Riley. During his first three offseasons, Riley has signed 53 transfers, compared to 54 high school prospects. Of those 53, 16 signed in the spring window, when the pool of players is more picked over and programs are more desperate — and willing to pay.
USC still managed to find some…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/usc-coach-lincoln-riley-content-235155702.html
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Publish date : 2025-04-16 23:51:00
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