With the 2025 NCAAFB regular season coming to a close, there are mixed feelings about the USC Trojans’ results.
Coming fourth in the Big Ten with a 9-3 record is usually a fairly good showing for most programs. However, for some USC supporters, this is still a failure.
Long-time supporters of the Trojans, analysts, and fans alike criticize head coach Lincoln Riley for consistently falling short in big games, placing him in hot water.
Not-so-fun fact: Riley is 0-5 in games against top ten teams in the country. This gutting stat, on top of the fact that Riley has yet to punch USC into the College Football Playoff, has left many skeptical of his massive 10-year, $110 million contract.
All hope is not lost for Riley yet, however, as USC has just landed the No. 1 recruiting class since 2006 and the first non-SEC team to claim first place since 2008.
A lot of crucial positions that were lacking this year, such as offensive line, defensive backs and linebackers, are among the many star-studded talents who have recently signed with the Trojans.
There are also a great number of offensive talents to replace surefire NFL draftees in USC’s lethal skill positions, such as Wide Receiver and Tight End.
USC’s staggering recruitment total of 35 commits, made up of one five-star, 21 four-stars, and 13 three-stars and consists of 19 SC Next 300 players, has made headlines among the NCAA.
USC General Manager Chad Bowden is the one to thank for this, he has developed this class in under a year after USC hired him for a multiyear deal worth around $1 million a year.
Another question: how much did USC spend on this recruiting class?
According to ESPN, the number exceeds $9 million, a massive jump from previous years’ budgets from top recruiting teams.
USC’s massive payroll has been a huge factor in recruiting not only players, but coaches as well, as Riley still holds one of the highest salaries for college coaches in the league, crowning cash as king once again.
For example, Former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin left the poor Rebels after leading them to their first 11-win season in the program’s history for LSU for a 7-year $13 million contract.
A lot of people were unhappy with the choice to do it in the midst of Ole Miss competing for a national championship, but in Kiffin’s eyes:that’s just business, baby.
Now that USC has flooded its football department and program with top-notch players, coaches and facilities, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before the program can harvest its hard-earned victories.
But they have not arrived yet.
With Riley’s stacked hand, a disappointment here will only end poorly.
For a team to have the No. 1 recruiting class, a highly sought-after coach and millions of dollars spent to guarantee success, if the Trojans don’t make the CFP, it is going to get really ugly.
On paper, this looks like a slam dunk. However, the game is played on the field.
It will be up to Lincoln Riley to make the pieces fit, and he knows it. Is he up for the challenge USC hired him for?