Breaking down the top-10 for 4-star RB Tiger Riden

2025 Desoto (Tex.) four-star running back Deondrae “Tiger” Riden made a big step in his recruitment tonight, releasing a top-10. USC made the cut, which was fully expected to happen.

The full list was USC, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, SMU, Texas Tech, Baylor and Ole Miss.

Taking a look at the list, there are some schools that were fully expected to be present and some that are interesting to see.

Here are my thoughts on the schools in play for Riden.

USC the leader

I think it is fair to say that USC is the leader in the clubhouse right now in Riden’s recruitment. His relationship with Kiel McDonald is possibly his best relationship in his recruiting process and there have been multiple visits made to USC already.

He will be returning to Los Angeles later this season for the Trojans game against Utah. An interesting bit of information is that this is currently the only mid-season visit Riden is eyeing. That doesn’t mean it will stay that way, but as of right now, USC will be his only game visit he will make.

Lincoln Riley is an important piece of this equation and so far, Riden is loving what he’s doing.

“I’ve always been a fan of Lincoln Riley’s offense. I always thought I’d be a good fit into it. Watching the running backs do what they do in that offense, it really means a lot. It plays a big part of my recruitment for sure. And coach Riley, he is such a genuine person. He just talks about life. I won’t even call him a recruiter, he’s just a good person. Like he wants to know about you as a person.”

The biggest competitors for USC

There are absolutely some big names in this race and while USC may appear as the leader, there is a lot of time in this recruitment.

Some of the names I believe to be the biggest threats are Texas, Oregon, and Texas A&M.

The Texas program is hot right now and there is a lot to like for an in-state talent like Riden. The Longhorns also have a nice connection with Desoto with quite a few former teammates on the roster, including fellow running back Tre Wisner and wide receiver Johntay Cook, who were also stud playmakers alongside Riden last year. Texas has also shown they can recruit running backs with the best of them in the country right now. They might be the biggest competitor for the Trojans.

Oregon is an intriguing one simply because Riden has shown he is not worried about leaving home. He is comfortable with being on the west coast and the Oregon brand and status is a factor. Texas A&M is in the midst of this as well as a big in-state power. He has visited several times, but it has been a year since his last.

Oklahoma, SMU, and Ole Miss are in tier three from my point of view. They are present and he is liking them, but if he were to commit soon, I don’t seen them being favored. SMU is very interesting as they are just a few minutes away in Dallas and they are on the rise.

Rounding out the group

Texas Tech, Baylor, and Ohio State were the interesting ones in this group, at least to me. He did not mention them when we spoke recently, so I was not sure how high they were for him. I would not be surprised to see an Ohio State visit in the future, depending on how their staff values him in the 2025 class. If he is a top priority, I could see a visit taking place that could move them up the ladder.

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