Monday’s Morass: What If USC Gets More Than They Give To The Transfer Portal

For the next two weeks, USC and the rest of college football get to watch players enter their names into the transfer portal looking for a new start. Many of the participants have prior experience, while others are testing the free-agent market for the first time.

One thing is for sure, either way, the Trojans plan to be active.

What if USC’s defensive line adds more veteran depth from the transfer portal?

Lincoln Riley’s coaching staff has been using the transfer portal out of necessity to rebuild USC’s roster while the foundation of younger recruits matures. Bear Alexander and Anthony Lucas headlined the Trojans’ 2023 defensive line transfer class, and so far through spring Nate Clifton has been everything they’d hoped.

Unfortunately, the addition of Isaiah Raikes didn’t work out, but c’est la vie.

“I mean, this is USC You’re not going to beg people to be here. For every guy that leaves here there’s going to be a line of 100 people that would die to take that spot in a heartbeat.” said Riley.

The addition of Eric Henderson to a Trojans’ staff that already had Shaun Nua is going to provide plenty of incentive to any of the 100 standing in line who are dying to be Trojans. There’s hope that with a new defensive scheme, better players being brought in through the recruiting process, and a couple of extra pieces inside, USC’s defense can improve dramatically.

What if USC misses more than hit in the transfer portal?

So far, Coach Riley believes that he and his staff have been right more than wrong. “You’re never going to be 100%, especially in the transfer portal age. Some of these kids you don’t—you try and get to know them as fast as you can, but this happens so quickly that some of it you’re going to learn a little bit on the run…And we’ve been right a whole lot more in the portal than we’ve been wrong.”

“We got a lot of dudes on this team right now that love ‘SC, that love this team, that are as completely committed as they possibly could be and we’re not going to let the actions of a few sour us or deject us in any way. It’s part of it.”

USC will lose players in this transfer portal. Some who began their careers as Trojans, and others who thought they wanted to be Trojans.

What matters is correcting those mistakes.

What if signing day is worthless?

This isn’t even really a “what if” question anymore because it’s a true paradigm.

Pick either one of the National Letter Of Intent signing days, either the early signing period or the more customary February signing day, neither carries more weight than a verbal commitment.

Maybe it’s too soon for me to draw a line in the sand, but if you’re looking for a reason to get rid of the spring transfer portal, I just gave you two reasons.

Lincoln Riley only needed one reason. “I don’t know that we’ve had it long enough for me to say…What you don’t love is you go through spring ball and invest some of these reps in people and then they don’t play for you in the fall. I don’t love that piece of it. Although that’s not going to be a huge part of your roster.–There’s always going to be a couple of outliers.”

For two weeks in April, everything else goes out the window.

What if USC adds another running back to the room?

Unless you can figure out how to bring back Reggie Bush or LenDale White for one more go around, I’d say leave the room alone. Anthony Jones has four running backs to work with but only one has significant college experience. Ja’Quovious Marks transferred in January and is anticipated to be the guy while Quinten Joyner, A’Marion Peterson, and true freshman Bryan Jackson find their roles.

In the two years since Riley took over there have been only so many touches available for the running backs. I can see both sides of the argument for adding or not adding another running back. Bringing in another veteran like Damian Martinez makes the roster better, period!

But it could also stunt the development of the younger players and it could cost more than $400,000.–Remember the transfer door goes both ways.

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