USC transfer portal priorities: Where are the Trojans most pressing roster needs?

Publish date: 2024-06-28

LOS ANGELES — A year ago, Lincoln Riley stood inside Heritage Hall, spoke about the status of his roster and sent out the notice to anyone who was watching or listening: “I would say we’re open for business on all accounts.”

What followed was one of the most audacious roster overhauls in the history of the sport, with 19 FBS transfers in, 21 transfers out and plenty of other departures. USC used the transfer portal to transform a four-win team into an 11-win squad that was one win away from the College Football Playoff this season.

During the season, Riley insisted this wasn’t going to be a one-year fix. Friday night’s 47-24 loss to Utah in the Pac-12 title game proved that. After the game, Riley said all parts of the roster will need to take a step forward.

So far, 400+ FBS scholarship players have entered the portal or announced they're transferring today.

If this new world frightens and confuses you, read our portal window primer: https://t.co/IChVjK23Id

— Max Olson (@max_olson) December 5, 2022

With the transfer portal officially opening Monday, the path is clear for USC to try to fill some needs and plug some holes on its roster. So, let’s take a look at the Trojans’ most pressing portal priorities.

Before we get going, let’s start with some helpful transfer portal disclaimers …

1. Just because a player enters the portal and plays a position of need for a program, it does not mean that player is a take for said program.

2. Just because a team offers a player early in the transfer process does not mean he will be a take down the road. For example, USC offered Louisiana linebacker Lorenzo McCaskill early after he announced his decision to transfer last offseason but stopped pursuing him soon after. Same with the Murphy twins, who transferred from North Texas to UCLA.

3. Grades or credit requirements or rules may come into play with transfers. So the reason a transfer doesn’t end up at a program could certainly be non-football-related.

Now that we’re done with that, let’s examine USC’s holes.

The defensive front

The more things change, the more they stay the same. This was one of USC’s most pressing needs a year ago and remains the most pressing need now. Riley has national championship aspirations. The Trojans won’t achieve that unless they seriously upgrade the talent at defensive line, edge rusher and linebacker.

USC has a stud in defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu, but it would be surprising if he bypassed the NFL and returned next season. The Trojans will lose Brandon Pili and Nick Figueroa for certain.

They’ll need three or four defensive linemen through the portal, ranging from impact players to quality rotation pieces. The depth is that rough. But quality defensive linemen are hard to find, and those recruitments are extremely competitive.

An obvious place to start is with Arizona State defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott, who entered the portal Monday. Norman-Lott finished with just 14 tackles and two sacks in seven games this season, but USC wanted him last spring when he briefly entered the portal before deciding to return to ASU. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Trojans make another run at him.

USC needs more size, speed and athleticism at linebacker. The Trojans added Eric Gentry (Arizona State) and Shane Lee (Alabama) last offseason. Both made critical plays this season, but Gentry still has to add weight and Lee was limited in coverage.

Ralen Goforth was the next linebacker in the rotation after starting in 2020 and 2021, but he entered the transfer portal Monday. Lee went through senior day activities before the Notre Dame game, so it’s no guarantee he returns for 2023 even though he has eligibility left.

Three linebackers have entered the portal since Sunday night — Goforth, Julien Simon and Tayler Katoa — so this group will look different next season.

Yes, I’m well aware Justin Flowe is in the transfer portal. I wrote about him plenty when he was a highly touted high school prospect. There will be a vocal segment of USC fans who want the staff to pursue him, but Flowe hasn’t been the same player at the college level that he was as a prospect. He has also dealt with several injuries in college and doesn’t solve the Trojans’ tackling issues.

One name that might be worth keeping an eye on is Oklahoma outside linebacker Clayton Smith, who entered the portal Monday morning. Smith was a top-40 recruit in the 2021 cycle and signed with Riley at OU, so there’s a relationship there.

Offensive line

USC loses three starters from its 2022 offensive line and didn’t have a ton of depth this year. If Justin Dedich returns, that gives the Trojans a starting center. Jonah Monheim is someone who will likely start at guard, and Mason Murphy is a starting tackle. Courtland Ford could start, too.

But it seems likely the staff will look for potential upgrades in the portal. Who that could be is unclear at the moment. We know this much: USC needs some more experience and depth at guard and tackle, which would make the line better now and give the five freshmen who are slated to join the program next year time to develop.

Running back

This is dependent on what Austin Jones decides to do. If he stays, Jones will likely be USC’s lead back next season, with Raleek Brown spelling him and two incoming freshmen (four-stars Quinten Joyner and A’Marion Peterson) adding depth. Darwin Barlow had limited carries this season, so it remains to be seen what he decides to do with his future.

If Jones leaves, USC would be an attractive destination for a talented running back. Caleb Williams and the passing game open up advantageous run looks, and Kiel McDonald has proved to be one of the better running back coaches in the country through his time at Utah and USC.

Receiver

The Trojans hit this position hard last offseason and significantly upgraded their talent. They’re adding two top-50 freshmen in five-star Zachariah Branch and high-end four-star Makai Lemon.

It’ll be a crowded room next season, but the Trojans will be an attractive destination because players will want to team with Williams and play in Riley’s system. One thing this group lacks is ideal height, so the Trojans could be searching for some taller wideouts who can diversify the skill set at the position.

The expectation was that Gary Bryant Jr., who redshirted this season, would enter the portal. Monday, Bryant’s father told The Athletic that “Gary is a Trojan, and this is his dream school.”

He later added: “The (mindset) right now (is) to secure the diploma but to keep competing.”

So it looks as though Bryant will stay at USC for now, but the future seems pretty open-ended.

Defensive back

USC brought in four defensive back transfers last cycle, and they were all significant contributors by season’s end. The Trojans will lose starting corner Mekhi Blackmon, who provided a stable veteran presence.

Khyree Jackson, a former reserve at Alabama, claims a USC offer.

USC Offered pic.twitter.com/H0qOw6sGK9

— REESKI (@Real_Khyree) December 5, 2022

The Trojans have young corners such as Domani Jackson and Ceyair Wright waiting to compete for the opening opposite of Jacobe Covington, so it’ll be interesting to see how aggressive USC is with adding players here.

Where might USC suffer some attrition?

As noted, the linebacker group has suffered the most losses early on.

Several players at offensive line and in the secondary haven’t played much under two different coaching staffs and have spent at least three or four years in the program. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see USC suffer some departures there or at receiver, which is going to be crowded, this offseason.

(Photo of Lincoln Riley: David Becker / Getty Images)

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