IMHO Sunday: 2024 Big Ten recruiting race is on!
In my humble opinion, cardinal and gold thoughts on what I see, what I hear, and what I think from Los Angeles:
The race: USC has some big rewards to play for in 2023, and the hopes are this potentially final season of Trojans’ All-America quarterback Caleb Williams highlights itself with a trip to the CPF playoffs semifinals and perhaps beyond. That being said, there will be a 2024 season to follow, and it will be in the Big Ten Conference, which announced on Thursday that the Trojans of 2024 will be hosting Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa in the Coliseum (anybody selling tickets?) – not to mention Penn State on the road, which could result with a famous Nittany Lions “White Out” game in Happy Valley.
The race – Part 2: Presently before our very Southern California eyes, there’s a recruiting arms race going on for the Trojans in order to be prepared for their future Big Ten counterparts. Using this critical calendar window of opportunity, Lincoln Riley and his staff are literally scouring the nation stocking their recruiting shelves with the best possible talent that best fits what they will find in the Big Ten.
Trojans’ head coach Lincoln Riley and staff have been busy stocking recruiting talent in preparation for the Big Ten in 2024.
The race – Part 3: The question out there is whether the Trojans can stock enough talent to be ready upon entering the Big Ten? Let’s face it, the Big Ten Conference along with the SEC are the big bears in the collegiate zoo. The style of play in the Big Ten renowned for its physical style of play. The big difference, of course, unlike the Big Ten of generations ago when power football was exclusive under the guidance of legendary coaches like Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler provided three yards and a cloud of dust, conference standard-bearers Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State have evolved into full-fledged balanced offenses with state of the art skill players. Indeed, this is not your grandfather’s Big Ten.
The race – Part 4: Knowing what’s in store for USC in the not so distant future, the Trojans have strongly intensified their recruiting objectives knowing that they need an elite combination of size, strength and skill to be ready for their debut into the Big Ten in 2024. Thus far in recruiting, the Trojans have re-established themselves on a national recruiting scale, having already received national commitments from players from locations like Georgia, Texas, Florida, Colorado, Oregon, Connecticut to underscore their recruiting efforts within the motherlode of prep talent in California and specifically southern California.
The Trojans have received a class of 2024 commitment from Georgia 4-star Edge Kameryn Fountain, who hails from Atlanta.
(Photo above by Matt Ray/Volquest)
The race – Part 5: Compared to a number of the Big Ten football elite, the Trojans are now starting to flex their June recruiting muscles and are currently ranked No. 4 in their inclusion into Big Ten specific recruiting evaluations. The Trojans currently rank behind Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State. That being said, those aforementioned schools got off to an impressive start and have almost twice as many commitments compared to the Trojans. However, that’s a bit misleading as it’s the quality of the recruits that can take the place of quantity when dissecting the evaluation. By the end of June, the Trojans could rearrange those rankings if the cardinal and gold get the commitments that many in the recruiting industry say they will get.
The race – Part 6: Like all conferences at this juncture of the recruiting cycle, rankings are fluid. The Big Ten recruiting rankings are no different. There’s no question that USC under Lincoln Riley has not only gotten the attention of the Big Ten recruiting evaluators but the attention, as well, by SEC recruiting analysts, as well. Thus far, the Trojans have made a bigger recruiting impression in SEC country than in Big Ten country, but that could change. How? The Trojans will be bringing in some Midwest class of 2024 prospects in the future, and you can bet that will eventually turn heads in that region of the country. And don’t forget that the Trojans have already invaded Big Ten country and we’re including Northeast outposts in Maryland and the DC area.
Florida safety Jarvis Boatwright Jr. decided to spurn ACC and SEC schools to come west and play at USC.
(Photo above by @J_BoatwrightJr on Twitter)
The race – Part 7: Without pushing the rah-rah button, there is no question that in the coming weeks USC will get more commitments from some very high-profile recruits and will continue to chip away at the Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State pecking order. Part of the problem with USC is that in the past, the Trojans were losing too many of the best-of-the-best recruits from southern California to the Ohio State’s and Alabama’s and Georgia’s. It’s apparent that Lincoln Riley and his aggressive staff are methodically changing that narrative and just at the right time. There is no underestimating the recruiting damage inflicted by former USC head coach Clay Helton.
The race – Part 8: Part of the Trojans process of returning to the national stage of credibility is to not only get the best in California but establish a recruiting beachhead in the Big Ten states and becoming a serious recruiting threat with the boundaries of Ohio State, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Big Ten fans may have already noticed that a major recruiting foothold has been established in the talent-rich confines of football crazed Texas. If Big Ten fans take the time to see what Riley and his staff are doing in the Lone Star State, it’s not inconceivable they could do the same in the traditional Big Ten footprint. The memories of Pete Carroll’s Trojans dominating the Big Ten are still relatively fresh in the psyche of Big Ten fans.
Colorado offensive lineman Hayden Treter with Trojans offensive line coach Josh Henson during his USC visit.
(Photo above by USC Athletics/Hayden.Treter)
The race – Part 9: From here on out heading into summer, it will be fascinating to watch the Trojans challenge Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State in the Big Ten recruiting race right through till the early signing period in December and the traditional signing period in February. There’s still plenty of time to continue to put a major dent in the Big Ten’s traditional recruiting pecking order of schools, and we’re not even discussing the transfer portal where USC has already flexed its muscles or have you already forgotten Caleb Williams.
The race – Part 10: History has proven that when USC is “right” both on and off the field, there may be no university in the country that can compete with both its athletics and the jewels of the southern California lifestyle. Big Ten coaches Ryan Day of Ohio State, Jim Harbaugh of Michigan, and James Franklin of Penn State already know it. Without belaboring the point, all three of these coaches would concede that recruiting against USC head coach Lincoln Riley is no walk in the park compared to the dysfunction of the Clay Helton era.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day knows that under Lincoln Riley, it’s not as easy to come into USC country and get a prospect to commit. (Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Summation: So, while there’s still a final Pac-12 season to be played in 2023, it would be wise to pay attention to the class of 2024 Big Ten recruiting rankings. No doubt, Lincoln Riley fully understands the challenges entering the Big Ten in 2024 without Caleb Williams, and he fully understands that right now he needs to stock his roster with elite recruits for the future Big Ten battles to come. He needs recruits that will be able to contend and win football championships in the high-profile Big Ten but a major surge for the new College Football Playoffs in 2024, as well. To contend for those goals, Trojan fans reach back to their heritage and know that the Big Ten recruiting competition of 2024 is on.
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The Dakoda Fields quotebook…
2024 four-star cornerback Dakoda Fields.
(Photo above by On3)
On his recent commitment to USC over Oregon, 4-star class of 2024 corner Dakoda Fields from Serra HS in Gardena, California, said:
“I’ve been to both schools a fair amount of times and feel like when it comes to football, they’re evenly matched. What gives USC the edge is the value of the degree and the endless amount of networking opportunities. So, because I feel like I would succeed at both schools in football, I decided to choose the school that will give me the best experience and success off the field….and that’s SC.”
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From the press box…
(Photo above by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
Nobody asked me…but: You know that the Trojans aren’t playing around and mean business when it comes to recruiting under Lincoln Riley. The Trojans entertained 4-star Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa this weekend and brought out the legends like USC’s Pro Football and College Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu to meet and greet Kyngstonn.
Troy Polamalu and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
Nobody asked me…but: With the release of the Trojans 2024 Big Ten schedule of teams, which includes such adversaries as Michigan, Penn State, and Wisconsin to go along with non-conference games with such powers as LSU and Notre Dame, you need to reach back to some locker room coaching vocabulary and simply say that the 2024 schedule is a “bitch.”
Nobody asked me…but: I can hardly wait till 2024 when Michigan comes to the Coliseum in a Big Ten Conference game. Apparently, the USC Ticket Department can’t wait either having already sent social media art trumpeting the arrival of the Wolverines into Los Angeles.
(Photo above courtesy of USC Athletics)
Nobody asked me…but: Would anybody be shocked if the Trojans first Big Ten Conference game is against Michigan in the Coliseum for a nationally televised 5 p.m. PT kickoff? Do ya think the broadcasting networks aren’t already salivating at the potential ratings for the Trojans initial entrance into the Big Ten?
Nobody asked me…but: Without Caleb Williams, who in 2024 figures to be in the NFL, that’s quite a meat grinder of a schedule for potential starting quarterback Malachi Nelson to initiate his career. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say it’s probably the toughest schedule for a rookie quarterback ever at USC if Nelson is the starter.
Trojans true freshman quarterback Malachi Nelson knows if he starts in 2024, the schedule is daunting.
(Photo courtesy of Malachi Nelson)
Nobody asked me…but: With WeAreSC recruiting savants Scott Schrader and Marshall Levenson both predicting Texas running back Taylor Tatum (Longview HS), On3’s No. 1 national running back, will commit to USC. Since the Trojans are only taking two running backs for the class of 2024 and Texan Bryan Jackson has already committed to USC, it may be that highly touted Nathaniel Palmer is next man up behind Jackson and Tatum. However, don’t completely count Palmer out of the picture just yet.
Nobody asked me…but: According to Taylor Tatum, he and Palmer have been told there is one running back spot left, but Tatum has asked Trojans running back coach Kiel McDonald to allow him to complete his remaining allotted visits before the coach closes the “one-spot-left recruiting window.” As they say, recruiting ain’t over until that letter of intent is signed in either December or February.
The nation’s No. 1 running back, Taylor Tatum of Longview, Texas, is said to be leaning to committing to USC.
(Photo above courtesy of Tim Verghese/On3)
Nobody asked me…but: I would be shocked if Lincoln Riley and staff’s inroads in the Southeast haven’t set off alarm bells in SEC country. There’s no way Georgia or Florida want to see USC continue to establish a recruiting beachhead in the Peach and Sunshine States, respectively. Considering last recruiting season when the Trojans plucked linebacker Tackett Curtis out of Louisiana and the future already has a USC commitment from Alabama safety Anquon Fegans, the ghost of Pete Carroll has appeared.
Nobody asked me…but: A USC key SEC recruit to follow from now to when he reportedly announces on August 22 is 5-star defensive tackle Eddrick Houston (6-3, 255) from Buford, Georgia. Houston reportedly had an excellent USC visit, and if you watched his video interview, distance is not a factor. Whether the Trojans get Houston or not, they have given it an effort and if this was still the Helton era, Houston probably wouldn’t have given the Trojans a sniff.
Georgia 5-star DL Eddrick Houston from Buford is considering USC and is expected to make his college choice on Aug. 22.
(Photo above courtesy of Joseph Hastings/BamaInsider)
Nobody asked me…but: A Happy Birthday to Tommy Trojan, USC’s legendary statue, which was unveiled 93 years ago last Tuesday.
Nobody asked me…but: Who would ever have guessed that on Sept. 6 in 2025, the USC Trojans would be hosting Clay Helton and his Georgia Southern Eagles in the Coliseum? Of course, we’re assuming that Gentleman Clay is still the Eagles coach.
He’s back, maybe! Georgia Southern head coach is expected to return to SoCal in 2025 to play his former team in the Coliseum.
(Photo above by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
Nobody asked me…but: How many years did USC fans demand that Clay Helton be fired never to be seen again in the Coliseum? Now Gentleman Clay is scheduled to return. Reality is stranger than fiction.
Nobody asked me…but: It sure looks like the class of 2024 commitment by Gardena (Calif.) Serra corner Dakoda Fields will have a major recruiting dominoes effect on some other serious secondary recruits. In fact, major might be a mild understatement.
Recent USC DB commit Dakota Fields says now that he is committed to USC, he’s going to recruit big for the Trojans.
Nobody asked me…but: With former Trojans’ defensive backs Mark Carrier and Dennis Thurman among 78 players and nine coaches from the FBS level to be put on the 2024 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, I think the more likely to be voted in will be Carrier.
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The post-game show…
(Photo above by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)
Update rankings: ESPN updated its ESPN SP+ rankings for the 2023 CFB season. The Trojans are ranked No. 7 behind Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee.
Update rankings – Part 2: USC 2023 opponents ranked behind the Men of Troy include Oregon (No. 11), Utah (No. 14), Notre Dame (No. 15), Washington (No. 17), and UCLA (No. 24).
New voice: Former Trojans and NFL quarterback Matt Cassel will join NBC’s Big Ten football coverage. NBC’s Big Ten broadcasts are being billed as Big Ten Saturday Night, like the NFL’s Sunday Night Football.
Former USC and NFL quarterback Matt Cassel is joining the Big Ten Network and will be part of the Big Ten Saturday Night.
(Photo above by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
New Voice – Part 2: NBC’s Big Ten coverage broadcast crew includes Noah Eagle (play by play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), and Kathryn Tappen (sidelines).
Bush push: According to New York Post writer Andrew Marchand, apparently Fox Sports and its “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame show is doing its version of the “Bush Push,” as former Trojans’ All-America tailback Reggie Bush is being pushed out the door due to an apparent contract dispute.
Former Trojans All-America tailback Reggie Bush (left) is reportedly out as a Fox “Big Noon Kickoff” host due to a contract issue.
(Photo above by John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)
The change: Shriners Children’s healthcare system announced that the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl will be played at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on February 1, 2024. A number of Trojans have played in past Shrine Games. Most old-timers remember when the Shrine game was played in San Francisco.
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The Call-in Show…
Caller No. 1: G-man, what did you think of the 2024 Big Ten Conference schedule for the Trojans?
Caller No. 1, I find it exciting especially with Michigan, Iowa, and Wisconsin coming to the Coliseum. Hopefully, Michigan will send its entire or at least part of its famous marching band.
Caller No. 2, Gregor, what did you think by comparison the 2024 Big Ten Conference schedule of USC compared to UCLA?
Caller No. 2, IMHO the Bruins got the easier schedule. The Bruins have five home Big Ten games and the Trojans four. Of course, in 2025, it’s the Trojans with five home games and the Bruins with four. Unfortunately, while the Trojans do host Michigan in 2024, they do not play Michigan in 2025, and that means a bucket list of seeing the Trojans play a game in the Big House in Ann Arbor is going to have to wait.
The Coliseum will host four Big Ten Conference games against USC in 2024 and five Big Ten games against the Trojans in 2025.
(Photo above courtesy of the Los Angeles Coliseum)
Caller No. 3: Katz, the 2024 USC schedule would have been challenging enough if Caleb Williams had returned for his senior season, but perhaps with an inexperienced Malachi Nelson at quarterback, it’s really going to be baptism by fire and what a fire it will be. Thoughts?
Caller No. 3, as I previously mentioned, Malachi Nelson will have perhaps the most challenging assignment as a rookie quarterback in USC history. Opening up against LSU in Las Vegas isn’t going to be easy. However, I guess it could be worse, the game could have been played at LSU.
Caller No. 4: GK, do you think that Clay Helton will still be the Georgia Southern coach by the time they visit the Coliseum in 2025?
Caller No. 4, if I were a betting man, I think Helton will be coaching GS in the Coli in 2025. That being said, I am not quite sure he will be given a warm welcome by the fans.
What kind of reception will former USC head coach Clay Helton get when he brings his Georgia Southern team into the Coli in 2025?
(Photo above by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Caller No. 5: Coach, what do you hate worse: mowing the lawn, trimming bushes, or pulling weeds?
Caller No. 5, none of the above. I don’t worry about it because my homeowner’s association takes care of it and my gardener does the weeds.
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The last word…
In last Tuesday’s edition of “Inside the Trojans’ Huddle, panelists Mark Kulkin, Erik McKinney, Chris Arledge, and Greg Katz discuss and analyze the recent recruiting commitments from last weekend’s recruiting bonanza, rank the Pac-12 head coaches 12-1, kickoff time comments, air-conditioned helmets, ranking the 2023 schedule, Salute to Troy, and viewers’ questions and panel answers.
The post IMHO Sunday: 2024 Big Ten recruiting race is on! appeared first on On3.
