USC Recruiting New Years Resolutions For 2024

It’s New Years Day, which means one thing. We have to make some New Years Resolutions for USC. This edition will be specifically related to recruiting. So, I have listed three resolutions to help the Trojans better themselves in the 2024 year (2025 class).

Your normal resolutions are goals or achievements that you have not previously attained, or maybe have fallen off the wagon of. They are to better yourself and I believe these will be pretty simple and ones that are certainly attainable this calendar year for the Trojans. As most resolutions go, USC will need to stay consistent in their approach to achieve these goals.

Establish long lasting defensive culture

We all know the defense was the primary downfall for the Trojans in the first seasons of the Lincoln Riley era. But, Riley got started on his New Year, New Me trend and began putting together some pieces in December. The defensive identity of USC is looking to make a change, and Riley made a splash in that department by hiring D’Anton Lynn away from UCLA to be the defensive coordinator. He also hired Matt Entz (linebackers), Doug Belk (defensive backs), and is likely to make some more changes to the staff in the coming weeks.

The biggest thing for USC in recruiting is to ensure that recruits know the defense is changing for the better. This is kind of like going on a diet, and sticking to it. It’s easy to stay committed for a few weeks or maybe a few months. But when it comes time to create habits and stay true, you need to put the work in.

There were recruits this past cycle that the Trojans should have landed, but did not due to who was running the defense and the product that was out on the field. Riley may have waited too long to make a change, but at least he did it now. The 2024 year and season will be absolutely paramount in changing the philosophy and identity of USC is perceived on defense.

The offense will always hum under Lincoln Riley. The production in his career speaks for itself. But now, it’s time for defense. Long lasting defense. It should be a change that sticks even with new coaches and players in the future after the current ones are in their next stops of their careers. If USC can instill a defensive culture, they can be everything and more that they want to be under Lincoln Riley.

Sign a 5-star prospect

Everyone wants to sign five-star prospects, but it’s tough. There are only 32 of them yearly and there are starting to be more programs with the ability to attract them. Whether it’s NIL or simply relationship building, USC has to do whatever it takes to get some of the nation’s elite talents to become Trojans. USC failed to signed any five-stars in the 2024 class after landing a handful in the 2023 class. And five-stars are not the end all, be all of recruiting and success, but they sure don’t hurt.

It would also be nice to see USC not just contending with some of these premier talents, but closing. It shows signs of life on the trail. WeAreSC is quite high on the 2024 signing class for USC, despite no five-stars. But moving forward, with the talent available to them, the USC program and brand could and should have the ability to land at least one five-star each cycle.

Win the necessities

The term “necessities” can be subjective, from one person to another. But throughout each cycle, there are always a good handful of “must haves” and key targets. A lot of times, it is ranking based, but for USC right now, there are some positional necessities as well. The Trojans are looking to get bigger in the trenches and get overall better on the defensive line especially. It is not a ‘necessity’ for USC to land five-star defensive lineman, but I would say it is a necessity to start landing multiple top-100 defensive lineman each cycle. This can also be done via the portal, but being able to land them at a young age is crucial.

This category could also apply to location based talent. Recruiting California will always be massively important and keeping guys home has been a struggle of sorts for a few years. Along with that, keeping up the success in Texas, Georgia, and Florida is a necessity. USC recruiting is naturally a national search, but landing elite talent from top states helps continue that and make it easier in future classes.

The 2025 class has a chance to be special for USC, so making sure that it is, is paramount.

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