Notes on Lincoln Riley’s class breakdown on BIG Network

As the first day of the early National Signing Day winds down, Lincoln Riley and other coaches appeared briefly on the B1G Network to speak on their new recruiting classes. While USC is still waiting on two signatures as of 3:00 p.m. PT, Riley was able to give his thoughts on how the class shaped up. He was also able to give some individual thoughts on signees.

Here are some of my thoughts and notes after hearing Riley speak about the class.

We will have some more in-depth quotes from Riley following his media availability this afternoon.

***One of the first topics Riley spoke on was recruiting in anticipation of playing in the Big Ten conference. Obviously the play style and roster structure is a bit different than what has been often seen on the West Coast. Riley says there is a different feeling in the process as they prepare for the Big Ten. “You can feel a little bit of the difference there when you’re out recruiting. And I think our class even here in this first year, reflects that. So that piece is very, very, very exciting,” said Riley. We have certainly seen USC work to establish a bit more of recruiting presence in the midwest, which will be crucial. And now Riley has even hired Matt Entz to the defensive staff, who comes from North Dakota State. We hear prospects talk about how USC going to the Big Ten will allow them to play a bit more of “big man football”. It will not just be about speed and finesse, but building the trenches and implementing a power run game will be important. Running backs like Bryan Jackson and defensive lineman like Jide Abasiri and Carlon Jones will likely be massive additions for the future roster.

***The wide receiver room has quote a few questions that will need to be answered as USC goes through the spring and summer, and possibly into the fall. With Brenden Rice and Tahj Washington off the NFL and Mario Williams and Raleek Brown in the portal, there will be spots to fill in the lineup. Obviously young talents like Zachariah Branch, Duce Robinson, and Ja’Kobi Lane will become bigger factors. Dorian Singer will also look to play a bigger role this season. But there could also be some even more youth in the equation. Riley spoke highly of Xavier Jordan and his abilities. He also mentioned the potential for him to step in and become a factor in year one. “We love his versatility, love the playmaking ability that he brings and, and certainly with our room, is going to have a chance to come in and have an early impact for us.” Seeing how Jordan fares through the offseason could give is a good indication of what to expect in year one from him.

***Riley told the Big Ten Network he feels the best position units in this class were also the ones of the highest need. “Offensive line, defensive line, and the secondary. And those were the three areas that we knew we had to really address in this class. So to be able to get a full class there across the board was, really a great thing.” The offensive line group is not the flashiest in the rankings, but it is full of the body types and attributes Josh Henson loves. The defensive line was saved in the 11th hour with Abasiri and Jones joining the class. To win Jones over Ohio State was a massive sign of the potential in the defensive recruiting moving forward. The secondary has gotten a lot of attention from WeAreSC’s coverage this season. And that’s because it’s a group of five. And there is a healthy mix of versatility as well as proven playmakers, both through the air and on the ground.

***Riley added “You see the size, especially along the front on both sides that we’re bringing in. That really looks to the future in terms of trying to become a bigger, more physical front and a team that’s led by those offensive and defensive linemen. So proud of that class, that group that came in. We can’t wait to get those guys together and get started.” This is a quote that directly ties in to recruiting with the idea of playing in the Big Ten.

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