FOOTBALL

More Personnel Moves Coming

I’m told to expect some more personnel moves — and departures — after Wednesday, which is Signing Day.

  • Cal coach Justin Wilcox turned down the Oregon job, per the Oregonian. I can’t imagine why Wilcox would want to stay at Cal but he is an odd one at times.
  • USC football coach Lincoln Riley is going to be introduced at today’s basketball game at the Galen Center.
  • Did you see Mike Garrett at the Heisman Trophy ceremony?
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225 thoughts on “More Personnel Moves Coming”

    1. Nasir I.M.

      As the proud owner of the term, meaning, name, and any and all use of the word, “Scooter”, I am informing you to stop and desist from ever using that term again or you will meet my attorney, Michael Guraino. LOLO. I have to have fun.

      Liked by 3 people

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    2. That makes two of us, Nasir. Scott isn’t the type of guy to share personal troubles with a band of strangers [even if he knows we actually care about him]……

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  2. Not sure Lincoln Riley will hand the QB job to Jackson Dart without bringing in a very good proven QB on the transfer portal. Dart, has some huge potential, but Riley wants to win now and Dart might take awhile to be a good player. I think we will see quite a bit of activity from USC in the transfer portal after the bowl games are over in January.

    In my opinion college football created a mess with this transfer portal. Average players that need to develop at one school will be promised starting jobs elsewhere that never work out.

    Win now or be fired will be the key requirement for coaches especially the higher paid ones so the portal becomes a quick fix for many programs, and many kids will receive false promises from other programs even during the season with encouragement to enter the portal.

    The portal might be good for USC next season, but in the long run the portal could ruin college football, and by all means not the correct way to build a football program.

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    1. …I think the portal’s the “correct way” to build a program NOW, tommyd…
      #RelyingSolelyOnHighSchoolersMightSoonBeConsideredObsolete….

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  3. Michael, Trojan1967, calabsastrojan, and the rest,

    Today is a great day. The Ghost of Al Davis helped today. Al Davis was an assistant at USC back in 1957, then he stole the Radiers from the original owners by lying, but was the owner of the Raiders. Well today, it has come full circle. Zion Branch is the nepehw of Cliff Branch who was a Raider. Well guess what, Zion committed to USC. He is a big time db from Bishop Gorman. All I can say as a forner Raider ticket holder and a SC diehard,

    Just Win Baby and Fight On!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    2. Scooter and Mikey,

      As a former Raider ticket holder and a SC ticket holder, Al Davis loved his football and he was loyal to the Trojans. He was so loyal that I can name players that either played or were drafted for the Raiders. Here I go, John Vella, Charlie Phillips, Cliff Branch, Marcus Allen, and Rod Martin.

      Mikey or anyone else, can you add any more?

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  4. If LR takes advantage of this, he’ll help his relationships in California HS fb, and he’ll basically be signing a 5*.

    USC SPORTS
    USC running back Kenan Christon’s suspension reduced on appeal
    BY RYAN KARTJESTAFF WRITER
    DEC. 14, 2021 8:17 PM PT

    The university suspension that caused USC running back Kenan Christon to miss one football season and threatened to hold him out for another has been reduced on appeal, The Times has learned, potentially allowing Christon to rejoin USC’s football and men’s track teams as soon as this summer.

    Christon was suspended in early September, after a physical altercation with another male USC student in which Christon put the student in a headlock for 17 seconds. No arrests were made and no charges were filed. The two students separately reconciled. But a six-week investigation by USC’s Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards found seven violations of the school’s student code of conduct, and Christon was suspended from campus and university activities through Dec. 14, 2022.

    Upon appeal, Christon was still found responsible for all seven student conduct violations, according to a USC decision letter obtained by The Times. But the duration of his suspension was reduced to the end of the upcoming spring semester, meaning he’ll be eligible to return to campus — and football — after May 12, 2022.

    It’s still unclear if whether Christon, who’s also a sprinter on USC men’s track team, will be welcomed back to the football program by newly hired coach Lincoln Riley. When Christon spoke to The Times last month, before Riley’s hiring, he said he had no intention of transferring from USC, but said at the time it felt “like I’m obligated to leave, like they don’t want me here.”

    With his suspension now reduced and a new coach in place, a person close to Christon said he’s still hoping to stay at USC.

    In a letter to the school, Christon wrote that he was “truly grateful as I have learned a life lesson and appreciate the second chance.”

    “I will not disappoint my family or my teammates or the University,” Christon said.

    “I just want to say again, I’m sorry. I would like my life to be back to normal,” Christon said. “I’ve worked so hard to be where I am today, and for this to happen it’s just, it’s a lot to me. I do feel that my punishment is excessive. I have missed out on the football season due to being suspended until the end of next year. ”

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    1. Come back, Christon. LR knows how to use a speedy back with good hands. And the “New” USC needs you…
      #….ItWon’tBeLikePlayingAtGeorgiaSouthernAnymore

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      1. An alpha male gets into a minor scuffle with another alpha male. Nobody is hurt. The two immediately reconcile. Arguably, no response by the student judicial counsel is warranted. Alternatively, perhaps a one week suspension. Instead, they effectively destroy Criston’s promising athletic career. This smells like Folt and her woke anti masculinity politics. I hope Reilly has the clout to address this non sense. Too many athletes have fallen victim to the student judicial counsel which does not seem to be interested in procedural or substantive due process.

        Meanwhile, 14 looters of high end stores are arrested and immediately released by our woke DA without any consequences for their crimes. This garbage has to stop.

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      2. I dunno about stronger but actually smaller and slower. Kenan is two or three inches taller, now 10lbs heavier, and appreciably faster. I don’t see more open field moves by Raleek or better hands. A lot of Raleek seems to be hype tbh. Like a lot else right now in the program…

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    3. Riley was pretty good at balancing carries for his RB’s, so there is plenty of room for Kenan and Raleek, among others. With the COVID NCAAF stuff, Kenan likely could have 6 years to play 4 seasons–but I’d defer to PUDLY 76 on this fine point.

      As the OC at Okie, he managed Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon to excellent effect.

      Riley likes to run the ball. USC will have perennial 1000 yd rushers with 2 WR’s each gaining 1000 yards receiving. The TE’s will also get plenty of targets.

      Get the O-line up to standard and watch out!

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  5. Dear Mr. Lincoln Riley: I know today was a bit disappointing, but please focus on lineman on both sides of the ball.

    Also, you want a more explosive offense then please welcome back :
    1) Kenan Christon
    2) Bru McCoy

    Both are explosive players. Your recruit Raleek Brown is a good one, but does not come even close to the speed Kenan has. Both Kenan and Bru are ready to explode as football players right away, and both are incredible athletes who got a very raw deal under Clay Helton’s leadership.

    Recruits are valuable, but both Bru and Kenan need to be welcomed back, and are ready to ball.

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    1. Kenan ran 10.3 at USC, Raleek ran 10.8 as a freshman in high school. That gap is smaller now. I wish we had Kenan as well, but Raleek is a better back.

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      3. Raleek ran a 10.82 PR VF and most times in the 11s+ he didn’t get any faster, which means this is an 11+ guy. People post bs around the internet but DyeStat — the source in these things, gives his times. An 11s guy is fast in a general way but not in a best in nation way. A long time ago I ran sub 11 but barely– it’s a big difference between a 10.3 consistently and 11, especially since Kenan has picked up 10lbs and playing cfb but is still running that speed, and Kenan blows Raleek out of the water in the 200 as well, which says something about both speed and endurance. There’s a lot more to being a RB than size and speed definitely but Kenan is a bigger, faster kid, a better pure athlete, clear cut. Maybe Raleek grows a couple of inches and picks up more weight and increases his speed but a 5’8 185lb kid who runs consistently in the 11s is not next level impressive, but everything is about hype and feel good these days. #whoneedslinemen #whoneedssize

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  6. The process for USC re-emerging as a college football blue blood has begun. In the first day of the early signing period, the Trojans climbed from #102 to #80 in the national recruiting rankings. Another sizable jump is expected on Friday. Like the Phoenix, USC football will rise from the ashes.

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    2. By the time the dust settles in February we’ll end up somewhere in the top 20 —but the Top Ten Class will come in 2023 …. if LR proves he’s got the goods in 2022 [which he will]….

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      1. I agree … also figure some talent will come from the transfer portal. Though I like Dart, there’s a chance Caleb Williams transfers in January after the OU bowl game. Existing guys get excited again, re-energized, and re-dedicated.

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    3. Very nice —but look at what those imbeciles (Folt, Bohn and Helton] did to USC football —we’re fighting our way to # 80?!
      #GoodLuckGeorgiaSouthern…
      #….YouWentIntoThisWithYourEyesWideOpen…
      #…HaveAGreat2022!

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      1. They and Caruso suck, but they (not Clay) or someone at USC made Lincoln Riley happen financially. I’d like to hear that story.

        Liked by 2 people

      3. I honestly think (based on what I’ve seen of Bohn in the last 2 weeks specifically —and the last 2 years in general) it was Lincoln Riley —and his agent—who made it happen….
        #InOtherWords,RileyFellIntoUSC’sLap…
        #Folt&BohnWereTheIncidentalBeneficiariesOfLR’sDecision

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  7. Raleek Brown will be a great back once he develops probably in a year, but will play some as a freshman. Kenan, first of all should be welcomed back by Coach Riley. We need as much speed as possible on this team which has been lacking here for quite some time. Kenan, would be a terrific kickoff and punt return specialist as well as a very explosive part of the offense at running back, and in the slot.

    It is quite obvious that the talent evaluation was very poor during the Helton era at USC. Kenan Christon should have been playing alot more.
    With 10.3 speed John Mckay would have found a place to use him either on defense or offense. Too much talent to sit especially on a losing team like USC has had in the last 3 years,.

    Raleek Brown reminds me of former USC running back Ricki Ervins who was a great back. Our offensive line has been hard to watch in recent years, but part of the problem is our running backs lacked the speed of Brown and Christon to pop some big ones on the sweeps or on screen passes in the flat.

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  8. DEFENSIVE LINE COACH CANDIDATE- FORMER CAL, ALABAMA, AND CURRENT JACKSONVILLE JAGUAR DEFENSIVE LINE COACH:

    TOSH LUPOI- ONE OF THE BEST COACHES OUT THERE.

    Lincoln you had better grab him quickly Oregon is current trying to grab him.

    WOW- DO WE NEED RECRUITING HELP. IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE TOP OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE LINEMAN PROSPECTS THIS YEAR USC was not even in the running or even offered the top players.

    As stated earlier Helton and Company thought football was all about wide receivers, and quarterbacks and if you had that you were fine which is obviously not the case. USC failed terribly in recruiting lineman which is the key starting point for success. Hopefully, Riley can change this quickly in the portal or we are in trouble.

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      1. Correct. Was it cuz Lupoi smelled trouble? —like a lot of other assistants we’ve pursued but failed to get over the last 10 years……. OR…was it cuz we heard about another fake NCAA investigation on the horizon?

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Lupoi was set to come to USC with Sark until a Washington recruit parent accused Lupoi of trying to hand the parent a coffee mug full of cash. What!? Like 40 $100 bills!? Not even a briefcase. Haven’t heard Lupoi mentioned for USC.

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Ricks has been at LSU and away from Mater Dei for a couple of years now. Domani Jackson still living at home and committed to USC until recently. Home is where the heart is. Raleek Brown, CJ Williams, Davis from last year.

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    2. I know Jones did a solid job at Cal….but beyond that it’s hard to find out much about him —I’ve never heard him give an interview….

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    1. Got up 12-2 and were down 8 at halftime. It was your typical Enfield no adjustments special. Their being tall thing didn’t help against some 7’ whitey who put 26 on them. 3rd game in a row where Boogie Ellis no showed.

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      1. Held the Ants to 25 in second half, so that was a plus for a post-halftime adjustment. Did Ellis get many minutes? I didn’t see whole game.

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  13. It seems the success of SC’s future recruits mainly are going to depend on the transfer portal. But if you search the transfer portal today there are few high rate players in the positions of need for SC. So the transfer portal success will depend on unknowable players at this time jumping into the portal.

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    1. Not how it works my guy –
      As of 2017, college football also has an early signing period in late December, meaning recruits now have the opportunity to sign with their college team over a month before National Signing Day.[1] While many recruits utilize this early process, a significant number of the nation’s top-rated recruits opt to wait until February to sign with their teams, either because they have not yet made a decision or desire to announce their decision to the fanfare and media coverage typically reserved for National Signing Day.

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  14. Tosh Lupoi did leave Cal for some suspected recruiting violations, but nothing ever came of it, and he ended up at Alabama working for Nick Saban as both a recruiting coordinator, and defensive line coach. He now works for Urban Meyer as the defensive line coach with the Jacksonville Jaquars.

    If he worked for Nick you know he must be good, and clean of any NCAA problems. This guy is the perfect fit obviously the new coach at Oregon knows what he is doing.

    My concern with Riley is he is going after another buddy from Texas Tech as his offensive line coach. I still have to wonder if Graham Harrell is for sure gone, or on the bubble whether he will be hired for the new staff.

    No loss on Ricks the transfer from LSU now going to Alabama. We have plenty of defensive backs we NEED OFFENSIVE/ DEFENSIVE LINEMAN AND PHYSICAL LINEBACKERSOR IT IS GOING TO BE MORE OF THE SAME AGAINST GOOD OPPONENTS.

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  15. Yeah, this portal business is even worse than free agency in pro sports because so many kids are utilizing the service.

    And aside from the fact that there are some good players looking to transfer, if a kid is really good and playing he probably is not going to go portal

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