FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Rumors Flying Edition

There was so much gossip emanating from the McKay Center/Heritage Hall on Monday as Lincoln Riley and Co. debuted on campus.

Maybe the biggest rumor was that Riley was bringing star QB Caleb Williams to USC.

There was also talk assistant coach Donte Williams was unlikely to return. Another was that Riley was going to clean house in some non-coaching areas.

We will see.

  • Did you catch this stiff-as-a-board moment yesterday?
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78 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Rumors Flying Edition”

    2. To all the recruits who are considering USC: Stay the F–k away!! The so called fans of the university celebrate you when they are recruiting you… I was offered daughters and sisters when they were recruiting me! But when I was playing through injuries and the team wasn’t winning, I got spat on and called all kinds of vile names. They threatened to rape my mom and sisters because I was injured. The worst fans in the world!

      Go anywhere but USC!

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      1. Ya go to SEC .. sound better. Nice people down there.

        Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Anthony Munoz, Lendale White …. etc etc are saying much different things about USC. But OK

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Why so bitter uce. You left early cause you thought you had what it took to make the bigs. How did that with our for you? You go to a university for the education, not the fans. If fan approval is what you were seeking, then you should have went to BYU cause they know nothing about the game, don’t know any of the players, but love the players to death. You were worshiped at St. John Bosco and were expecting the same at USC. Let’s be honest you were decent, but weren’t great at SC. Stop with the hating and move on with your life. Let these others choose where they want to play. Just cause you didn’t have a stellar career at SC, doesn’t mean that others won’t. Fight On!

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    1. USC BPI #26–indicative of its competition.
      UCLA BPI #6–they’ve had a tough schedule.

      Hopefully both teams play well and we get some epic clashes this Winter! After a few years of lousy FT shooting, seems there will be no improvement. The free throw will cost USC a few tough losses.

      Happy that Isaiah stayed another year and happy Boogie came to join us.
      As I posted last April, I like this guy Goodwin too!!!!

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  4. Tim asked yesterday whether any football coach ever turned a program in as bad a shape as ours into a winner in one year. Answer: yes.
    #AraParsegehianDidItAtNotreDame
    [I hear that Todd Orlando was telling everybody yesterday he was “really, really excited about being kicked to the curb” cuz he deserved it “so much” …and that the humiliation “really, really has me fired up to coach a great game against Cal!”]…….

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  5. Scott is right to poke fun at the press conference. Yes, Lincoln is everything we could hope for and more [Uh oh, I’m starting to sound like Pudly with Helton]. But Carol’s self congratulatory performance was embarrassing. She’s the general who takes the field after the all the enemies’ wounded have been shot. And Bohn hit such a fricking homerun that he would have been wise not to remind us of his personality.
    #HopeBothOfThemFadeIntoBackgroundIn2022
    #FightOn!

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    1. Carol Folt and Rick Caruso had do a victory lap, OK, they green-lit these deal and will write the checks (or find somebody who will). Not sure if Bohn and Sosna are this good or if they’re just lucky. No matter, they pulled this off. Good for them, good for USC.

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      1. I agree that it is pathetic that Folt gets any credit for this. She doesnt even know when the season ends, that is a clear sign she is just a puppet for Caruso and Bohn in this area.

        And finally hiring a great coach (3 years too late) and approving the checks to be written is not some big victory for either Folt or Caruso. It is a victory for Bohn and Sosna.

        Note to Lincoln Riley – why dont you ask Folt why she destroyed the Alumni Clubs? How about demanding they revert back to the previous alumni club structure, or at least get the most passionate alumni involved in how to shape those support organizations?

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      1. I checked that out, aranda. Riley had 4 & 5 stars on his o-line at Oklahoma (except for his left guard). And —while he had some good players on the d-line— they mostly weren’t top grade. Same for his linebackers. And his strong safety sucked. That said, Phil Steele rated his defense best (by far) in the Big 12 (for what little that’s worth).

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    4. Is there anything Carol says that can be trusted as accurate??? Didn’t she just tout she was not involved in the coaching search. Now, she’s taking bows. I’d love to sit with her and have her explain her version of integrity and how truth fits into her definition.

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      1. Carol is the picture of insincerity. She represents everything wrong about the university. Nothing she says even SOUNDS true. She knows everybody not getting a paycheck from her hates her guts and yesterday was all about trying to take credit for something that fell in her lap.
        I’d like everybody to consider exactly what Lincoln said yesterday: NO one contacted him before Sunday. Bohn WASN’T involved in lengthy negotiations. Carol sure as fuck wasn’t. Lincoln was ready to make the move and USC lucked out. For Carol to take to the microphone yesterday & claim her Great Victory is like everything else she does —sorta funny.

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  6. I’m calling this post, “The Grinch who stole Christmas (recruiting).”

    Seems like Riley is bring DC Alex Grinch* along with the strength and conditioning coach (thankfully) and the WR coach (saddens me that Colbert just didn’t seem to develop this corps). So here’s to hoping Grinch can flip a bunch of WEST COAST defensive recruits, bring in a bunch of defensive transfers/portals/Juco trfs, develop Kory, convince Drake to return, and develop Bullocks and Alford.

    QB/WR/RB will be lights out! Barlow did pretty well with his chance this past weekend. Maybe we get Christon back????????? Bru???????

    I’m so psyched for April’s spring ball game. Might drop down from Monterey to watch it!

    *the DC who masterminded the September Friday night upset of USC and Sam/Rojo by Wazzu in 2017.

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    2. JUCO transfer’s and USC are a hard way to go these days, USC has made it almost impossible for that to happen and with the transfer portal, you don’t need JUCO guys like you did in the past.

      And the way Riley can attract the WR & RB talent, why bother with Bru and Christon ?

      I want 3 star commits purged, I want most of this team purged, I want 4-5 star OL & DL recruits with top assistants coaching them, not a recruiting class filled with WR’s and RB’s, and transfers with more than a year to play.

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      1. I’m on board AOM. Start with #6 ITS. His play is so bad that I think he’s betting on the Trojans to lose and throwing the game.

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    3. Bru McCoy is a lost cause. His head is obviously not where it needs to be, and I blame Helton and staff for coddling and encouraging these self-centered 5 star recruits. Pete Carroll would have had NONE of that.

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      1. Yes, Pete would have none of that [he’s too busy working on compiling the kind of record that will earn Seattle a #1 draft choice]……
        #BetHe’sSorryHeBeatUrbanNow

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  7. So Kelly goes to LSU yesterday to cut a deal. He doesn’t tell his assistants he’s doing this, they are out recruiting for him and ND.

    The news breaks last night that he’s going to LSU. One of his assistants has just left a recruits house and the news breaks.

    The assistant says ” I fell like a fucking asshole “

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    1. You wanna know what’s worse? Notre Dame just announced they stole Clay Helton from Georgia Southern as their new Head Coach.
      #NotreDameTeamAnnounceEnMasseTransferToLSU
      #GeorgiaSouthernTeamHolds”PrayerOfGratitude”Meeting

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    3. Similar to how he left Cincinnati for his “dream job” Notre Dame. He left them without a coach for their bowl game so he could go out to recruit for ND. This, however, is a step above in self-centeredness.

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    4. All good, AOM.
      Fickell will be announced as the new ND coach Saturday Night.
      Since the day Helton was fired, I’ve been stumping that Fickell would be the new ND coach. He was destined for only two jobs–ND or tOSU. Day will be staying at tOSU for some time.

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      1. If true, would love to see a Cincinnati – Notre Dame Rematch in the Playoffs. How bizarre would that be?

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  8. Scooter,

    My thought for next season: If Riley goes 9-3 and beats nd and hopefully ugly, then it will be a succesful season. That is because he is getting his team up to speed. After that hopefully 11-1 next season. Just my thought on this.

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  11. Anyone notice that it looked like Caruso went to the tanning salon before the press conference. What a beautiful man he is looking so tan and healthy.

    Big key is to get Bru McCoy, and Brandon Pilli back on the team.

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      1. Thanks MG, but flattery will get you nowhere with me. My pockets are sooo deep, they’ll put DTrump to sleep. And remember, if you like how I handled ghe USC HC hire, you’ll love how I gentrify LA as Mayor.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Allow me to assure you Caruso is not sleeping with Carol….
        #ThereAreFewSureThingsInLife…
        #…ButThat’sOneOfThem…

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    2. The really big key is going to be the transfer portal. There will be a bunch of top talent there for the taking. Basically, we want to shove the under-performing players off the team and replace about 40 players on the team with top high school recruits and transfers.

      We have a smattering of really great players, some players that can be coached up to be great players and then a bunch of guys that need to be shed from the team. I say that 60% of the playing time goes to players who were not on the roster this season.

      Let’s start by landing Eli Riks, the cornerback from LSU, unless he decides to stay for Brian Kelley. We really need to steal Kingsley from BYU. We need 7 great new linemen on this roster – 3 or 4 high school freshmen and 3-4 transfers. Maybe one or two of the current o-line will actually play or start in the future. We need 4 new defensive linemen.

      Need all new running backs since Ingram is leaving. Barlow has potential to stay. We have some receivers/TE that can succeed – MJ3, Lake McCree, Trigg, Epps, maybe Joseph Manjack, Bru McCoy.

      When you look at the current roster, it is easy to see why we have failed. So many players that are just not contributing anything. Keeping Clay Helton this long decimated the roster.

      The one big thing we need is to bring Drake London back for another year. Make sure to use him in a way that he doesnt take so much abuse to his body, but still has a stellar season and then get him to be a top 5 draft pick.

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  12. We need to keep Donte…………Chip Kelly, is known for taking our key recruiting coordinators/coaches. He is very sneeky I am concerned he has already offered Donte a job. SC should give him a raise, and keep him as the defensive backs coach/recruiting coordinator or Chip will steal him, and maybe Bru McCoy also.

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    1. Hard not to like Donte & respect what he’s tried to do ….but I think maybe you’re overvaluing his importance in the new landscape, tommyd…..
      #LincolnWillDoFineW/ODonteAsRecruiterOrCoach

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      1. Well, Donte played yo-yo with the QB’s which helped no one. He didn’t tell Harrell to run the fucking ball, his DB’s can’t cover for shit, he looked like a fool with his shades on his hat, I could go on.

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      2. Someone got to Harrell before the BYU game, that said, Donte was in over his head, Oregon had no issues with him leaving, hasn’t hurt their recruiting one bit. SC can do better than Donte

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    2. Fuck Donte. Riley can out recruit that dope and his DB coach can coach better, lets get off this we need to keep him because he can recruit bullshit already, for fucks sake, let it go.

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      1. I think Donte would have been wise not to accept the head coach gig –it was a no-win deal. That said, it looks like he DID tell Harrell to mix more runs into his playcalling —and we did pretty damn well considering we didn’t have Ingram out there against BYU.
        As to everything else you said, I’m in 100% agreement. Donte can’t coach and we don’t need him anymore for recruiting…
        #….HighTimeToMoveOn

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    3. As a CB coach, Donte could get back to doing what he does best.
      We could label it, “prepping him for his next HC gig.”
      Anyway, I agree that we keep Donte just so he does not flip to UCLA.

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  13. Donte- is well tied in to local recruits. You guys are evaluating him on his head coaching performance, but it is quite obvious he is not ready to be a head coach. However, he is again very tied in to the local high school players and coaches in this city. Just watch Chip will grab him in a second if he has not already done so or he could go back to Oregon.

    There is a huge Texas connection especially now with Riley as head coach. I would certainly keep Dante before I would keep the offensive line coach, and Harrell that is for sure. Orlando, is already gone we could give up 50 points this weekend vs. Cal.

    Amazing so many of you now have changed your opinions of Donte. He is what he is not a head coach, and should not have been put in that position this season.

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    1. Riley took how many recruits from Donte ? 3 ? 4 ? How many has Oregon taken ? Donte used to be at Oregon, they haven’t missed a beat without him.

      Donte can’t coach DB’s for shit, he’ll do fine at the Cerritos Auto Mall

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      1. I think the OU OL coach is coming, I don’t see anyone from this staff being retained and if Riley keeps Harrell, he’s a fool.

        I always thought Donte sucked as a DB coach, never buy into the we have to keep him for recruiting bullshit, there are lots of guys who can recruit.

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      3. Hard to call Riley a fool —his record indicates otherwise in a Big Way.
        I hope he gets rid of Harrell, though — Lincoln doesn’t even NEED an Offensive Coordinator. He needs top notch QB, Receiver and O-Line coaches to implement HIS schemes.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. I actually think McGuire did an excellent job in just one year of creating a decent offensive line. Keep in mind that the lack of any schematic diversity/leverage allowed defenses to key off on our QB and running attack. Not to say he would be kept, but he did a fine job within this culture.

      The deterioration of Donte’s cornerbacks this season was the most troubling. I think that Bohn did Donte no favors by making him head coach, but not really giving him power to fire Orlando or Harrell.

      When I look at the roster, it is evident why this team is so bad. The roster is littered with players who have contributed zero to this team. A few good players and a whole bunch of players that really need to be moved out of the program.

      Are we able to kick players off the team if they have a scholarship? If they have bad attitudes and dont work hard, can we kick them off? We need to free up scholarships for players who want to play.

      Donte failed at his key goal of turning around the team culture. This was an incredibly difficult task given his lack of control of either the offense or defense.

      Folt/Caruso should get no kudos for hiring Lincoln Riley, when they allowed the program to descend into such total decline.

      There are some good players like Miller Moss that just are not a fit with what the team needs and would do much better elsewhere. I hope he enters the transfer portal. Slovis will be in the transfer portal very soon in my opinion.

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  14. We shall see Aranda…….Last time I checked UCLA had a pretty good season this year, and more recruits will be interested.

    I do think Lincoln Riley will be excellent for USC, but it takes time to build a foundation with the local high schools. Not question he will help us with national recruiting.

    My only problem with Riley is will he stay long enough to build the program. I see the Dallas Cowboys grabbing him in two years maybe sooner. Ultimately, Riley wants to be in the NFL sooner than later.

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    1. We don’t know the terms of Riley’s contract (specifically the buyout language) — he could be more or less locked in for a few years.
      We won’t have Riley forever ….but we’ll probably have him long enough to get us back as a perennial powerhouse.

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      1. ” but we’ll probably have him long enough to get us back as a perennial powerhouse ”

        And then the powers that be will fuck up the next hire and USC will be in the shitter for another 20 years.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. If we’re luck the “powers that be” will get involved in some really juicy scandal and be gone by then….
        #Well,WeCanPrayCan’tWe?

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  15. You and Petros are trying really hard to find any negative spin. If this goes south, then by all means, go for it. But for now, take the L for once.

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    1. It’s NOT going to go South. We’re entering a Golden Period in football.
      Scott and Petros need to find new ways of having fun. Covering USC it should be easy.

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  16. After years 2 Lincoln Riley will have the program going in the right direction, and then……………he will be going to the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones has been watching Riley for years now, and the only reason he did not get the job now is his lack of experience. One winning season at SC, and then on to the NFL for Riley. The buyout will be no problem for Jerry.

    USC spent alot of money on Riley including buying his two houses in Oklahoma, plus a 6 million dollaar new house in Manhattan Beach, plus a private jet.

    I say the money was well spent, but after 1 good season we will lose him to the NFL, and then what. Also, imagine how Andy Enfield feels right now. It’s time to extend his contract, and give him a raise before he leaves after this season.

    One thing Riley believes in is a mobile, fast qb who can throw the ball. It’s a proven key to his offense so that second year Dart better hope he has a good year next year running the ball as well as throwing it.

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    1. Riley won’t be gone after one year unless he wins the National Championship, tommyd….
      #AndThat’sNotGonnaHappen..
      #We’veGotRileyForImmediateFuture

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  17. The Grinch who stole Christmas (recruiting), part II:

    Per ESPN FPI Division 1 efficiencies:
    in 2018 OU’s defense ranked #92 in the nation, (without Grinch)
    in 2019 OU’s defense ranked #44 in the nation in Grinch’s first year.
    in 2020 OU’s defense ranked #5
    in 2021 OU’s defense ranks #43

    In 2021, USC’s defense is the #102 ranked defense out of about 128.

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  18. LR was a great surprise and makes USC relevant again after years mediocrity. I hope LR try’s to up his defensive focus since great defenses become required to survive the playoff games. Fight on

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  19. After year 2 he will leave because I believe USC will be in the playoffs. Hiring big time coaches requires an instant return on the investment, and USC cannot stop Jerry Jones from fishing for a new coach.

    Continuity and Consistency is the key to a college football program. What concerns me is Riley is keeping all his buddies from Texas including Harrell. Last time I checked most of our recruits come from Southern and Northern Cal.

    WHERE THE HELL IS OWNS————-SINCE THE NEWS HIT! I heared he had too much Thanksgiving Turkey after a great Bruin win last Saturday against Cal. If Darien Thompson Robinson does not come back UCLA is doomed. This years’ team was filled with seniors.

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  20. I wouldn’t replace Dart. That kid is going to be great. I wouldn’t get rid of Donte either. But you must let the new coach run his program his way.

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  21. Coach Riley has told close friends and associates he is not interested in coaching in the NFL EVER! Too many headaches. He had a long conversation with Nick Saban who told him that going to the NFL was the biggest mistake of his life. Trust me. Lincoln will NEVER leave USC to coach in the NFL. NEVER!!!!! Besides the too College coaches make as much or more than their NFL counterparts. He is not interested in the headaches involved in coaching NFL personnel. Finally, he would never work for plastic face and be his puppet.

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