USC Football

USC commit Malachi Nelson, a 5-star quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class, is reportedly going to visit Texas A&M over the weekend.

ESPN's Paolo Uggetti reported Friday that Nelson, who previously flipped his commitment from Oklahoma to USC after head coach Lincoln Riley moved from the Sooners to Trojans, informed Riley of his decision to visit the Aggies.

Nelson is the No. 2 overall prospect in next year's class based on 247Sports' composite rankings behind only fellow quarterback Arch Manning, who committed to Texas.

An interesting aspect of the signal-caller considering another school is the fact he's already agreed to a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal related to his choice of the Trojans.

Jeremy Crabtree of On3 reported Nelson reached an agreement to promote SLAB, a Texas-style barbecue restaurant in Los Angeles, and host a few USC tailgating events during the 2022 season before officially becoming a college player next year.

It's another unique situation as teams, players and companies continue to learn how to navigate the NIL era of college sports.

For his part, the coveted quarterback prospect told Crabtree he's trying to make smart decisions about how to handle those offers based on what he witnessed during the first year of implementation last season.

"You want to put yourself in the right position to not look like you're just doing it for the money," Nelson said. "Last year there were some college guys that had a bad game and then they had to wake up the next morning and post this endorsement deal. It doesn't look very good. So, my team has put me in a good position to avoid that from happening."

Meanwhile, the Los Alamitos High School standout is one of two 5-star prospects committed to the Trojans for 2023 alongside wide receiver Zachariah Branch. USC ranks 13th in the early recruiting ranking for next year, per 247Sports.

Texas A&M is a distant 60th at this stage of the 2023 process, but the Aggies are coming off the No. 1-ranked class in 2022.

Getting Nelson to flip would be another massive recruiting victory for head coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff, and it could spark another surge toward the top of the rankings for A&M.

For now, however, the quarterback remains committed to Riley and the Trojans.

The next big domino in college football realignment has fallen, as USC and UCLA will leave the Pac-12 and join the Big Ten in 2024.

The Big Ten announced today that the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles will become conference members effective August 2, 2024, with competition to begin in all sports the 2024-25 academic year. https://t.co/DnwNMJSEe7

— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) July 1, 2022

OFFICIAL: USC will join the Big Ten Conference in 2024.

— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) June 30, 2022

𝗕𝗜𝗚 news! UCLA is joining the Big Ten Conference at the start of the 2024-25 season! 👀

➡️: https://t.co/ygoY70o2bo#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/Cgj5orGhiI

— UCLA Athletics (@UCLAAthletics) June 30, 2022

Jon Wilner of the Mercury News initially reported that the schools were planning on switching conferences.

The Pac-12 said in a statement that it was "extremely surprised and disappointed" by the news:

pic.twitter.com/rdM2IEuQ6m

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) July 1, 2022

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman added USC and UCLA broached the idea with the Big Ten and not the other way around. Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported the Big Ten conference may not stop at 16 teams.

College football has always featured a gap between the haves and have-nots. The stratification has widened in recent years to the point where a "super league" made up of the elite programs feels inevitable.

In the case of USC and UCLA, the schools' administrators seem to feel they're getting left behind.

Under the stewardship of former commissioner Larry Scott, Pac-12 football fell noticeably behind its Power Five rivals.

USA Today's Steve Berkowitz also wrote in May how the most recent payouts to the Pac-12 member schools, which fell from $33.6 million in 2020 to $19.8 million in 2021, "were the lowest among the Power Five by a significant margin."

For USC and UCLA, the motivations to join the Big Ten are the same ones that led Oklahoma and Texas to bolt the Big 12 for the SEC. There's more money and prestige to be had from playing in the Big Ten.

The biggest obstacle in such a move had long been UCLA leaving behind Cal because it meant breaking away from UC system, per sources. One Pac-12 source said they were "stunned" UCLA would make that move. https://t.co/jWgX3ZBs2J

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 30, 2022

By expanding their footprint, the Trojans and Bruins might also more easily attract recruits from outside their traditional pipelines.

https://twitter.com/cpetagna247/status/1542562311038197767

Losing USC and UCLA deals a major blow to the Pac-12, and the conference might struggle to recover even if it works quickly to line up programs to take their places.

Beyond watching Southern California become Big Ten territory and suffering the consequences of that, the Pac-12 might see the likes of Oregon, Washington and Utah question their futures. The Ducks have become the best school on the West Coast over the last four years under Mario Cristobal and might not want to be the big fish in a small pond.

However, Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday night that no other Pac-12 schools are expected to join the Big Ten "at this time":

Multiple sources tell @latimes that no other Pac-12 members are expected to be added to the Big Ten at this time.

Oregon, Washington, Stanford, etc. will not be following USC and UCLA.

— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) July 1, 2022

When the commissioners for the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 announced their "historic alliance" last August—a direct response to the SEC's poaching of Oklahoma and Texas—many questioned how long the strategic partnership would last.

Less than a year later, the venture is dead in the water.

USC head coach Lincoln Riley denied the speculation that he left Oklahoma because he was scared of the move to the SEC.

"I heard the whole SEC narrative," Riley told Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports. "To me, the SEC has nothing to do with it. It's all about the program that you're at and the position you think you can get to."

Oklahoma and Texas announced ahead of the 2021 season that they would leave for the SEC starting in 2025. In February, Riley stunned the college football world by leaving Oklahoma—where he won four Big 12 titles in five years—for USC and the Pac-12.

It represents an easier path during the conference season, but Riley simply saw the chance at a fresh start.

"I'm 38. I want to experience different things," Riley said. "I want to win. This opportunity is so good, how can you not do it?"

A reported 10-year, $110 million contract likely helped make the decision, but Riley also said he enjoyed watching USC games when he was younger.

"It felt different when you watched it," the coach said. "The energy behind it was different."

Perhaps most importantly, Riley seemed to indicate that he couldn't win a championship with Oklahoma.

The Sooners have reached the College Football Playoffs four times—three with Riley as head coach and once when he was an offensive coordinator under Bob Stoops—and they lost in the semifinals each time. Only once was the final margin within single digits.

"I've walked into four playoffs, and I've never had better than maybe the third-best roster [of the four teams]," Riley said. "Every other year, we were four of four. We had really good rosters, but they weren't the same. … I can't imagine that there could be a setting that we could build a better roster than we can here."

USC is coming off a 4-8 season under Clay Helton and interim coach Donte Williams, but Riley has rebuilt the roster using the transfer portal and could turn the team into a contender in 2022.

Star wide receiver Jordan Addison has opened up about his decision to transfer from Pittsburgh to USC.

Speaking to ESPN's Paolo Uggetti, Addison called it a "gut move" to leave the Panthers after winning the 2021 Biletnikoff Award to join new USC head coach Lincoln Riley's team.

"I was looking for a great coach and a good football opportunity," said Addison. "I'm still figuring myself out and what I want to do and I feel like I have a great opportunity to do that where I'm at now."

Addison's decision to enter the transfer portal caught many by surprise. He was coming off a fantastic 2021 season at Pitt with 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns on 100 receptions.

After Addison entered the portal May 3, ESPN's Pete Thamel noted his decision wouldn't be motivated by name, image and likeness money but finding the best situation for him to better prepare for a future in the NFL.

USC, Texas and Alabama were among the schools Addison considered. The Maryland native announced May 19 that he was going to play for the Trojans.

https://twitter.com/Espn_Jordan/status/1527396831566643200

Addison becomes a critical piece for USC heading into Riley's first season as head coach. Riley was a surprise hire by the program because it didn't seem like he was going to leave Oklahoma. The 38-year-old signed a six-year extension with the Sooners in 2020 and had a 55-10 record with four Big 12 titles in five seasons from 2017 to 2021.

As a result of Riley getting a late start in recruiting for the Trojans, their incoming class of prospects ranks 10th in the Pac-12 by the 247Sports Composite.

Addison joined Antonio Bryant and Larry Fitzgerald as the only players in Pitt history to win the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best wide receiver.

USC hasn't won at least 10 games in a season since 2017 (11-3). The program hasn't played in a bowl game in three of the past four years.     

One of the most notable transfer portal sagas to date will end with former Pittsburgh wide receiver Jordan Addison at USC.

The 20-year-old announced he will transfer to the Trojans on Thursday:

https://twitter.com/Espn_Jordan/status/1527396831566643200

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on May 3 that Addison officially entered the transfer portal, although a source at the time said, "A return to Pittsburgh remains a very viable option."

The decision to potentially switch schools made headlines for more than the fact that he is one of the best wide receivers in the country.

USC was quickly linked as a potential destination, with Johnny McGonigal and Craig Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporting the pass-catcher was "offered a multi-million-dollar deal to suit up for the Trojans."

Thamel noted Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi even directly reached out to his USC counterpart, Lincoln Riley, on multiple occasions to "express his displeasure." Officials with the ACC school also believed the Trojans tampered with Addison before he was officially in the portal.

Yet Thamel also reported someone close to Addison said this would not be a bidding war in the new era of name, image and likeness opportunities and instead was about finding the school that would best prepare him for the NFL.

Considering the Panthers will have a new offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach and quarterback in 2022, they apparently weren't the team to do that.

USC was no stranger to the transfer portal this offseason, with Riley coming to the program in November and getting a late start in the recruiting process. He added former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Mario Williams via the portal, so the quick connections with Addison followed.

Yet USC wasn't the only powerhouse that was linked, as The Athletic reported "it wouldn't be shocking if the Crimson Tide became a factor" after Addison was working out with Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

Few players in the country could make such an immediate impact for any team as Addison considering he was a consensus All-American and the Biletnikoff Award winner last year with 100 catches for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski projected him as the No. 8 overall pick and second wide receiver behind Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba in a 2023 mock draft.

With that type of talent on board bolstering the aerial attack, the Trojans figure to be even bigger factors in the Pac-12 title chase.

Riley's maneuvering with the transfer portal this offseason has positioned the program to again return to glory after a disappointing stretch.

While USC won double-digit games and regularly competed for championships in seven straight years from 2002 through 2008 under head coach Pete Carroll, it is coming off a 4-8 campaign and hasn't finished with double-digit wins since 2017.

Williams throwing passes to Addison is an ideal formula to become national factors in 2022.

Bru McCoy announced Tuesday he's transferring to Tennessee.

USC transfer WR Bru McCoy has committed to Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/e9lMv4Rwfo

— Max Olson (@max_olson) May 4, 2022

The former USC wide receiver made an official visit to the Volunteers in March.

He told GoVols247's Ryan Callahan before announcing his final decision that Tennesee has "an unbelievable staff." He added that head coach Josh Heupel's offensive scheme "fits the type of player I am, so it's a wholesome—you know, everything's clicking."

McCoy was the No. 9 overall player in the 2019 recruiting class in 247Sports' composite rankings.

The California native originally enrolled at USC, only to leave the school in January 2019 and enroll at Texas after Kliff Kingsbury chose to coach the Arizona Cardinals instead of staying on as the Trojans' offensive coordinator.

McCoy never suited up for the Longhorns and transferred back to USC in June 2019. He only made a limited impact with the team, redshirting in 2019 and then catching 21 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in six games in 2020.

In August 2021, USC suspended McCoy indefinitely after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. Though the Los Angeles County prosecutor declined to pursue charges, McCoy missed the entire 2021 season.

McCoy was teammates at USC with Velus Jones Jr. and Chase McGrath, both of whom made the trip east to Knoxville, Tennessee. According to Callahan, McCoy was encouraged to consider Tennessee based on what he had heard from Jones and McGrath about their experiences with the program.

Although the Vols return their leading receiver from 2021, Cedric Tillman, the departure of Jones could open the door for McCoy to play a big role in the passing game.

Following a nondescript three-year run at Virginia Tech, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker flourished under Heupel as well. Hooker threw for 2,945 yards, 31 touchdowns and three interceptions and ran for 616 yards and five scores.

Playing in the Volunteers offense could be a great showcase for McCoy and help get his collegiate career back on track.

Don't worry, Oklahoma fans.

It may seem like former head coach Lincoln Riley has convinced plenty of players to join him in departing the Sooners for USC, but that's not actually the case according to him. Instead, he has simply taken the players from the transfer portal.

"We didn't take players from Oklahoma," he said during an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. "We took players from the transfer portal."

He continued, saying, "Once a player gets into a portal where they are open to any school in the country, we would be crazy not to take a look at that and try to help our football team."

Many Oklahoma fans won't necessarily lend Riley the benefit of the doubt when it comes to those comments considering he was under contract with the Sooners when he decided to leave for the Trojans.

Still, it should be noted he landed 13 players from the portal this offseason, 10 of whom did not come from Oklahoma. USC was just 4-8 last season and nowhere near ready to compete for a Pac-12 title, so Riley has wasted little time dramatically altering the roster as he looks to return the powerhouse back to its former glory.

That three of those transfers were high-profile players from Oklahoma added to the narrative Riley was taking players from the Sooners.

Quarterback Caleb Williams, wide receiver Mario Williams and cornerback Latrell McCutchin joined him with Williams potentially in position to compete for the Heisman Trophy during his first season in the Pac-12.

Williams took over the starting quarterback job from Spencer Rattler—who transferred to South Carolina this offseason—and finished the 2021 campaign by completing 64.5 percent of his passes for 1,912 yards, 21 touchdowns and four interceptions to go with 442 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

Unfortunately for Oklahoma, he will now build on those numbers for the same coach but a different school.

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. 

Thank you @beatsbydre ✌🏽 https://t.co/yfXnbno0Qy

— Caleb Williams (@CALEBcsw) February 5, 2022

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. 

✌🏽 #FightOn pic.twitter.com/vBSwi86gpb

— Caleb Williams (@CALEBcsw) February 1, 2022

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.