Pac-12 Football

Arizona State University president Michael M. Crow says head football coach Herm Edwards is not the focus of the NCAA's investigation into the program's alleged recruiting violations.

Crow said Wednesday on Arizona Sports 98.7's Bickley & Marotta that other members of the staff weren't acting at Edwards' behest:

Coach Edwards has done an outstanding job of upgrading our overall program. We got this (group) of people who decided to not play by the rules relative to recruiting. So we'll be looking to how we make improvements so forth and so on, but Coach Edwards is responsible for all the actions of all of his people, but these are things he did not ask them to do. These are not things he was a part of.

In June, Doug Haller of The Athletic reported the NCAA had begun investigating whether ASU's football program hosted high school prospects during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period.

There was disagreement about whether Edwards knew about the possible violations. One former staffer told Haller there was "no way" he'd know those types of recruiting details, and another said he serves as a "closer" in recruiting. However, a different source said Edwards is around "90 percent aware" of what's happening with the program's recruiting.

In the eight months since the investigation began, three coaches have resigned—defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce, offensive coordinator Zak Hill and tight ends coach Adam Breneman—while wide receivers coach Prentice Gill and defensive backs coach Chris Hawkins were fired.

In an appearance on Bickley & Marotta on Tuesday, Edwards said he delegated a lot of recruiting responsibility and that you have to "trust people" in those cases.

"I live in a world like that. I grew up this way. I just think—I don't micromanage people," Edwards said. "I understand what's going on for the most part, but at the end of the day, football's about trust, by the way. This game's built on trust."

He added the focus has switched to next season.

"We're moving on. We're getting ready for spring football and getting prepared," Edwards said.

Arizona State has given no indication the coach's job status is in jeopardy despite the investigation.

Edwards has compiled a 25-18 record since taking over the Sun Devils program in 2018. The team posted an 8-5 mark last season.

Amid a series of coaching changes and an ongoing NCAA investigation into the program, Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels could be leaving the school. 

Per Carson Breber of 247Sports, Daniels is expected to enter the transfer portal Thursday. 

Breber noted it's unclear if Daniels "would seriously consider withdrawing from the portal at a later date to remain at ASU this season."

Arizona State did land Bennett Meredith, a 3-star recruit, during national signing day. Trenton Bourguet and Finn Collins were Daniels' backups last season. 

The Athletic's Doug Haller reported in June that the NCAA was looking into potential recruiting violations at Arizona State, including hosting high school prospects during a dead period. 

Per Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, one of the allegations against the program involved Daniels' mom, Regina Jackson, "allegedly helping book more than $1,100 in flights for recruits and the adults accompanying them" during a recruiting trip from Florida. 

The Sun Devils have lost five coaches amid the investigation. Offensive coordinator Zak Hill resigned from the program last month after he was implicated for wrongdoing by the NCAA. 

Wide receivers coach Prentice Gill and secondary coach Chris Hawkins were fired by the program in January. Defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce resigned earlier this month. 

Daniels was the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He committed to the program in December 2018. 

The California native announced in December he would be returning to the Sun Devils in 2022. 

Daniels has appeared in 29 games over the past three seasons. He has thrown for 6,025 yards, 32 touchdowns, completed 62.4 percent of his attempts and run for 1,288 yards with 13 touchdowns in his college career. 

Arizona State has made bowl games twice in the past three seasons with Daniels starting at quarterback. He led the Sun Devils to a 20-14 win over Florida State in the 2019 Sun Bowl.    

USC quarterback Caleb Williams is making good use of his rising star, becoming a part-owner of the grooming brand Faculty.

Williams is set to become an ambassador of the brand as part of his deal, appearing in ad "campaigns, collaborations and revenue partnerships," per Obi Anyanwu of WWD.com. 

The 19-year-old, who played last season at Oklahoma before following coach Lincoln Riley to USC, is known to paint his nails and said his passion for nail art comes from his mother, who is a nail technician. 

“You know, some people love it, some people hate it,” Williams said. “Either way, I don’t really care. I never have been one to care much about what people have to say or think about me. I just kind of do as I feel and if people like it great, if they don’t, whatever. I feel like everyone should express themselves however they chose. If me painting my nails playing football helps some people feel more confident in expressing themselves, then great.”

Faculty co-founder Fenton Jagdeo met with Williams for the first time in late 2021, and they began exploring a partnership that would work for both sides under the NCAA's new rules allowing players to profit off their name, image and likeness. The company launched in 2020 with a focus on nail art and has since quickly expanded thanks to a number of high-profile investors.

Jagdeo says adding Williams to the fold will help expand the brand exposure among young athletes. 

“For Caleb, when you get him early you start to interact with his audience," Jadego said "We’re interested in getting young athletes, we’re interested in the demo so we can show the comfort of expressing. As we start to grow, expect to see product collaborations, expect to see campaigns. We’re still in the primitive days of the relationship, but expect to see that. He mentioned his efforts in mental health, so we’re thinking how we can tie them together.”

Williams is expected to enter the 2022 season among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. He threw for 1,912 yards and 21 touchdowns against four interceptions while adding 442 yards and six scores as a rusher during his freshman campaign. 

Caleb Williams has landed his first NIL deal since transferring from Oklahoma to USC, signing with Beats by Dre, the company announced Friday. 

Williams announced his decision to transfer to USC earlier this week after spending just one season with the Sooners. He followed new Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley, who coached him at Oklahoma in 2021, to California. 

Williams served as the Sooners starting quarterback in 2021, replacing Spencer Rattler, who was inconsistent. He completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 1,912 yards and 21 touchdowns against four interceptions in 11 games. He also rushed for 442 yards and six scores. 

Perhaps no coach in college football has benefited more from the transfer portal than Lincoln Riley this offseason, but the new face of the USC program is in favor of changing the current system.

"I think at some point we'll have to put in some guardrails," Riley said during an appearance on ESPN. "… I think it's difficult for players, difficult for coaches, difficult to build rosters."

It should be noted that Riley was under contract with Oklahoma when he decided to leave for USC, so there is a degree of irony for him to be one of the coaches suggesting "guardrails" need to be put in place in the system that now gives players more freedom of movement than in the past.

These comments also come shortly after quarterback Caleb Williams announced he will follow his coach and transfer from Oklahoma to USC.

While Williams was the highest-profile addition for the Trojans that came via the transfer portal, he was far from the only one.

Pete Thamel of ESPN noted Riley has landed 13 transfers from the portal since he accepted the job in November. The new coach has completely transformed a roster that went just 4-8 last season and could have USC competing for a Pac-12 title and perhaps even a College Football Playoff berth as soon as the upcoming campaign.

Williams figures to be on the shortlist of Heisman Trophy contenders alongside Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and could elevate his new team to the top of the Pac-12.

The transfer portal has been kind to USC this offseason, but it has also generated plenty of discussion. Players are currently permitted to transfer one time and retain immediate eligibility under the system in place.

The rule coming when players can now profit off their name, image and likeness has surely impacted recruiting and roster construction, and Riley is not the only coach to raise potential concerns as they attempt to navigate the sport's new reality.

For now, though, USC has taken full advantage of the system.              

Caleb Williams may have shifted the balance of power in the 2022 College Football Playoff race by announcing his transfer to USC, where he'll reunite with former Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley.

Williams confirmed the decision to ESPN's Pete Thamel on Tuesday.

"I wanted to go somewhere I thought would provide me with the best development both on and off the field. ... Getting to know Coach Riley and gaining familiarity with his offense definitely played a part in my selection, as well as already knowing some [of] the guys on the team," he said.

After closing out the 2021 regular season with a loss to Oklahoma State, Oklahoma experienced an exodus.

Riley left for USC, taking defensive coordinator Alex Grinch with him. Spencer Rattler, a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, transferred to South Carolina. Jadon Haselwood and Austin Stogner departed as well.

That's to say nothing of the recruits who decommitted after Riley took the USC job.

While not unexpected, Williams' announcement Jan. 3 that he was entering the transfer portal turned heads:

The freshman quarterback left the door open to returning to the Sooners, explaining how entering the portal was the only way he could speak with other schools and remain within NCAA rules.

Wide receiver Theo Wease withdrew from the portal in December, opting to remain with Oklahoma.

Still, first-year head coach Brent Venables found himself having to recruit Williams back to Norman. Venables and athletic director Joe Castiglione issued a joint statement saying, in part, "We believe OU provides Caleb the best opportunity to develop as a player and realize his goals for college and beyond":

Speaking with Thamel after Williams' announcement, his father, Carl Williams, laid out his son's priorities:

With the NCAA's relaxing its transfer rules and allowing players to have one freebie, situations like this are more common. But Williams was something of an anomaly.

Joe Burrow and Justin Fields left Ohio State and Georgia, respectively, because they didn't see a path to the starting role. Jalen Hurts exchanged Alabama's shade of crimson for that of Oklahoma because he had been eclipsed by Tua Tagovailoa.

With Rattler gone, Williams was the entrenched starter for the Sooners. His status for 2022 wasn't in doubt, and QBs don't typically bolt a blue blood when they're poised to run the offense.

Similarly, coaches generally don't get a second bite at the apple when they fail to land a top-ranked prep passer, especially one who has proved himself at the FBS level.

Rather than listing the Power Five programs that were likely to pursue Williams, it was probably quicker to name the ones that wouldn't. 

Williams was the No. 2 quarterback in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2021 class, and he lived up to the hype at Oklahoma. He threw for 1,916 yards, 21 touchdowns and four interceptions and ran for 442 yards and six scores. 

Rattler's rapid fall at Oklahoma is a cautionary tale about the folly of preseason expectations, but Williams is as close to a sure thing as the Trojans could get at quarterback. Reaching the playoff is bound to be the bar for success with the 6'1" signal-caller on the roster.

Venables, meanwhile, is left scrambling to find a solution at quarterback.

Nick Evers is a 4-star recruit and the No. 10 QB in 2022, per 247Sports' composite rankings. Oklahoma might have to use the transfer portal for its own benefit to replace Williams since fans will anticipate the kind of results that have been the norm in Norman.

As soon as he entered the transfer portal, USC was the logical destination for Williams if he left Oklahoma. Few coaches are better suited than Riley to prepare quarterbacks for the next level, so a reunion made sense.

Former USC quarterback Jaxson Dart's transfer to Ole Miss was the proverbial canary in the coal mine as well. 

Dart threw for 1,353 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions as a true freshman and seemingly would've thrived under Riley's tutelage. By choosing to leave the program, it stood to reason he questioned whether he had the inside track to start in 2022.

When Riley arrived at USC, many believed it was a home run hire that will return the Trojans to national prominence, albeit in a few years. By adding Williams, they might be a playoff contender right out of the gate.

The USC Trojans have landed another big-time football player via the transfer portal as Lincoln Riley continues to build his squad ahead of his first season as head coach.

Oregon Ducks running back Travis Dye announced Friday that he is transferring to USC for the 2022 season. 

Dye spent the first four seasons of his college career at Oregon and has proved to be one of the most dynamic, versatile running backs in the Pac-12. He racked up 3,111 career rushing yards, 869 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns with the Ducks. 

During the 2021 campaign, the 5'10", 190-pound California native took over as the top running back after CJ Verdell was ruled out in October with a leg injury. He rushed for a career-high 1,271 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2021 and also caught a team-leading 46 passes for 402 yards and two scores. 

Dye entered the transfer portal on Jan. 14, just four days after new head coach Dan Lanning finished his tenure as the Georgia defensive coordinator following the Bulldogs' national-title win over Alabama Crimson Tide. 

Dye is only one of many notable players who have opted to join Riley at USC. The Trojans have also added Oklahoma wide receiver Mario Williams and cornerback Latrell McCutchin, Colorado cornerback Mekhi Blackmon and Stanford running back Austin Jones. 

USC is also considered a favorite to land Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams, who played under Riley in 2021 and entered the transfer portal on Jan. 5. 

Justin Wilcox is set to be head coach of the Cal football team for the foreseeable future.

The school announced on Thursday that Wilcox has agreed to a contract extension through the 2027 season. The Golden Bears went 5-7 last season and finished fourth in the Pac-12 North.

Cal had started the year 1-5 but went 4-2 to close the season, ending with a win over USC. The Golden Bears also defeated their rival Stanford 41-11 in November.

"I appreciate the opportunity to be the head football coach at Cal and am excited about the future of our program," Wilcox said in the release. "I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute I have spent with the extraordinary young men who have been in our program."

Wilcox has coached Cal since 2017 and compiled a 26-28 record in five seasons. The team had back-to-back winning seasons and bowl game appearances in 2018 and 2019, a feat the program hadn't achieved in 10 years. The Golden Bears lost the Cheez-It Bowl to TCU in 2018 but topped Illinois in the Redbox Bowl the following year.

However, Cal has never finished with a conference record above .500 in Wilcox's tenure.

"We have very high expectations," Wilcox added. "I think we've earned the right to expect more, and that's exactly what we're going to do."

Under Wilcox, Cal has also seen substantial growth off the field. According to the press release, "the program announced its highest graduation success rate ever at 84 percent" in December."

Brenden Rice, the son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, announced Tuesday he will transfer to USC:

The 6'2" receiver spent the past two seasons at Colorado before announcing his intention to transfer earlier this month. 

Despite reported interest from Oregon, per Zachary Neel of Yahoo Sports, Rice decided to join the Trojans and new head coach Lincoln Riley.

Rice finished 2021 with 21 catches for 299 yards and a team-high three receiving touchdowns on a squad that finished 4-8.

The former 4-star recruit, per 247Sports, has also contributed on special teams, averaging 27.6 yards per kick return last season. Despite seeing limited action as a freshman, Rice scored three touchdowns on nine total touches in 2020, including two receiving scores and an 81-yard punt return.

The Buffaloes have still struggled to produce offense in this time, finishing 121st in the country with an average of 18.8 points per game this past season.

It should be a different story at USC under Riley, who consistently led some of the top offenses in the country at Oklahoma. In addition to coaching Heisman Trophy winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, Riley has also helped receivers CeeDee Lamb and Marquise Brown become first-round picks in the NFL draft.

USC also finished 4-8 last year, but there could be a quick turnaround after several top recruits and transfers joined the program in recent weeks. 

Former Oklahoma receiver Mario Williams and former Washington receiver Terrell Bynum have already transferred to USC and will help create an exciting passing attack alongside Rice.