FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Roster Turnover Keeps Everyone Alert

USC has had 35 players depart since Lincoln Riley took over as part of his rebuilding process.

But what about the remaining players who were not told by Riley that it was in their “best interest” to go elsewhere?

I spoke to a player Wednesday who said there were some tense moments.

“Some of us that are still here were worried we would get the call (to see Riley),” the player said. “We didn’t know what was going to happen. We definitely talked about among ourselves.”

Riley said Tuesday he is going to have “double-digit additions” of transfers after spring practice. The player I spoke to said he feels confident he will play next season but will feel better in June when scholarships get renewed.

49 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Roster Turnover Keeps Everyone Alert”

    1. Here is the problem I foresee: Ancient Rome got to the point where it depended more on foreign mercenaries than it’s own soldiers. USC is making the same mistake! When it comes time to play the Visigoths or the Vandals will these new out of town players remain loyal to USC?! Or will they switch sides when times get rough?!
      #HasCoachRileyStudiedHistory?

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      1. Riley is dipping into the transfer portal to quickly revamp the roster, but he is also recruiting the high school players he wants next season and will have the #1 class in 2023.

        I am pretty sure that they are vetting out the transfers they bring in. And once they bring in those transfers, they have a culture that is about the team, not the individual player. Culture is the key. It might be easier to change culture with a set of new people than with the old people.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. I think you’re right. And that’s why —no matter how good Bru McCoy is — Riley wouldn’t want to build his receiver corps around him. He’s going for work ethic, discipline and ‘team first.”

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      3. Once they enroll at SC, they are no longer Visagoths or Vandals….no more than Kedon Slovis, Jackson Dart, Keaontay Ingram, Vavae Malepeai, Taj Washington or Kana’i Mauga are Visagoths or Vandals because they came from another state.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. To me, Caleb will always be a Visigoth —but it’s okay, parcelman, because Riley is a Vandal.
        #EverythingIsSettingUpNicely

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      5. This is a joke, right? How does a football player “switch sides” prior to a game?
        And that pump still don’t work cause the Vandals took the handle…

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  3. After what I saw last year I wouldn’t want any of these kids either. I think he went up to Cal that last game and thought to himself “I ain’t winning with these guys. Not even in the lowly pac 12”

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    1. Something like that.
      [But remember –he didn’t get to see that many Trojans play in that Cal game —a lot of our guys told Donte they wanted to opt out cuz they “were feeling sad”]…….

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      1. I’m feeling sad that administration took so long to rid the program of helton the bilker. I am not in the camp that worries about the number of dollars Riley spent on his home PROVIDING he revives the SC program and brings it back to its respected glory days. Frankly, paying bilking helton his salary was much more costly that what SC is paying Riley. Incompetent, cheating, lying helton was stealing and harming the program and its players. Look at Sam! He was not ready for the NFL because he was not developed by the helton fool factory. That to me is the saddest…….wasting talent and robbing young athletes of a future.

        Liked by 3 people

      2. Yes, Carra. Sam was in a lose/lose situation: waste another year with Helton or jump to the NFL prematurely.

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  4. scholarship renewal in June?
    I thought when SC gave an athletic scholarship it was honored through graduation…unless the person leaves on own volition.

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    1. You would think, huh? It is, afterfall, supposed to be a school first, that has a football team. The majority of players will not be playing on Sundays. Getting their degree should be the priority and the school should do everything within reason to help them get there.

      Anything short of that would be yet another blemish on the reputation of my beloved alma mater

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      2. I am not certain about this, but it is possible that they convert the athletic scholarship to a non-athletic scholarship to get the player off the roster and create space for another.

        Actually, every player should know that he either needs to compete at the highest level or leave the program. That is the only way to create a championship program. Too many of the players under Helton did not have that core belief.

        It is far more honest to tell players that cant possibly make the cut that they need to move on, than to keep them on the roster when they are not serious.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. I also used to think that was true, Tim, but I looked it up and these scholarships are up for review every year, and can be cancelled for a variety of reasons. And it is not just SC, but all colleges have this right.

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      4. Yes. If you dropped all 3 passes you were thrown you’re not getting your scholarship renewed….

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    3. I recall Haden [the destroyer of all things Trojan] said that scholarships would be given for 4 years. If my memory is wrong… what the heck, I’m old…

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      1. Haden might very well have said that….of course ya gotta remember he’s been on anti-dizziness medication the last 3 decades….
        #He”Accidentally”TripleDosedTheDayHeHiredHeltonAsHC..

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  5. Bozo Helton and his comical coaching staff who were just looking for a paycheck, recruited UC Davis type of players, so of course Lincoln Riley had to get rid of them.

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    1. UC Davis type players play with heart and play through the pain, Helton’s players were nothing like that, you’re mistaken.

      Helton type players were more of the polynesian pipeline variety who couldn’t avoid stubbing their toe and having to call it a career.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. The Polynesian pipeline, as you call it, has produced many legends for USC. They were players who came to school with advanced work ethic, strong bodies and fierce competitiveness. Unfortunately all of that could not overcome the recent lack of college level position training. That recent players got hurt trying to compete is not an indictment of their heritage, but a testament to their character.
        Just as your witless musings are a testament to your lack of training and education, I am sure there were a few Polynesian players who didn’t fit the “stereotype” but only a bigot uses stereotypes in their writings.

        Liked by 4 people

      3. 9 out of 10 polynesian players at USC have turned out to be a bust.

        The ones that have gone onto the NFL with the exception of Troy Polamalu and Junior Seau had an extremely short shelf life, that’s a fact that can’t be refuted.

        Prove me wrong, list the polynesian players from USC that went onto have a nice career in the NFL.

        Sua Cravens couldn’t hack it, that girl quit after getting hurt and riding the pine for a couple of years. But by all means, give it a go and name so others that turned out to be worth a damn.

        Damien Mama, total bust.

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      4. Why go on with this, tebow? You’ve made a solid point –Helton didn’t know how to recruit “attitude” or “want to.” He made a few good choices —but it was hit or miss cuz he didn’t know what to look for (since he didn’t have ‘heart’ or ‘want to’ himself). Why soil your premise with this
        ‘Polynesian’ angle?
        #HeltonWasAPoorRecruiter,Plain&Simple

        Liked by 2 people

      5. Because those polynesian girls are so fucking overrated and I’m tired of seeing their no talent fragile as a flower asses having scholarships wasted on them.

        All they do at USC is get hurt, can’t make it through a fucking spring practice and end up riding the pine the entire rest of the year. The only thing they’re good at is eating. That’sall they do, get hurt and eat.

        USC should be giving scholarships to the blue collar kids that can hold up when taking a hit. They’re a waste of fucking time.

        More than glad to see ‘Ol Mule Shoe not being suckered in by the overrated hype of that crap polynesian pipeline. The thing that really gets me is that they don’t even make much of an effort to try and stay in shape when they’re on the injured list, they’re just fucking lazy and don’t give a shit!

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      7. We finally have a championship level coach, let’s just trust that he will make the right recruiting decisions going forward. I really doubt Riley will recruit any player who is unwilling to put in the effort.

        Some people just cant seem to get their heads out of the past failures. Move on.

        Liked by 2 people

  6. Michael, he’s a Philistine. Blame the players for riding into USC thinking the schools rep would cover for their lack of commitment. A lot of players spirit get broken and they look to take the easy way instead of being real with themselves, like Tim Tebow, who never had a chance with a coach like Meyer. These guys at SC who were stricken with dumb coaches had no chance. That’s life.

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    1. Tebow makes good points about our recruiting problems –then undermines them with the Polynesian stuff. It’s like he’s making us a great turkey sandwich on wheat bread …and putting a little ground glass in it.
      #NotHealthy

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      1. I got a laugh when T-Bone tried to put down Polynesians because they love to eat. What American doesn’t?–

        This is the fatest country in the world, with nearly 2 out of every 3 USAers fat.

        Of course it is our own darn fault, but you know who else is to blame?– the food industry. Look at the labels in the market from breads to mixed dried fruits, and they all have SUGAR additives.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. It’s hard …but… try to go with foods that have zero ADDED sugar (like almond butter or apple butter)….
        #You’llFeelBetter….
        #[Unfortunately,You’llAlsoStopEnjoyingFood]…

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I noticed none of you polynesian Trojan fan boys even attempted to throw out any names from that grass skirt wearing bunch of girls who you thought were worth a shit or who in any way shape or form were integral in any success USC football has had in say the past 15 years.

        Polynesian pipeline, what a joke!

        Tonya Hufanga or whatever the hell her name is, got her ass trucked by a 5 foor nothing 175 lbs. RB and got her ass knocked into next week, had to be helped off the field…what a goddamn embarrassment.

        Tonya out two weeks nursing her shoulder, fragile ass waste of a scholarship.

        Yeah she’s in the NFL, but I guarantee you she’ll be done by the end of next season just like Sue Cravens, another weak little flower girl.

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  7. I’m not here to talk about race so much anymore but I will say this, USC has had a lot of soft players over the last 10 years who seem to have been grossly overrated. Polynesian or otherwise. But, that could be coaching/ culture related.

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  8. Yes, athletic scholarships are good for 4-years if you can remain first or second string on your team, and with the caveat that you do not assault your girlfriend.

    Doesn’t seem fair (except for the clause forbidding a guy from using his girl as a Mexican pinata), because a lot of these athletes need the scholarships to make their way through the 4-year college grind.

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    1. Agree, agree, agree.
      Subplot:
      I’m all for cutting a guy loose if he batters his girlfriend —but, John, what about the guy who’s ACCUSED of battering his girlfriend …but, ACCORDING TO THE GIRLFRIEND HERSELF, didn’t lay a hand on her?
      I know you’ll agree that student deserves due process before anything is taken from him —but over the last 3 or 4 years we’ve taken scholarships from players without allowing them to cross examine the witnesses against them….
      #IDon’tGetIt..
      #Isn’tItImportantToDiscoverWhatReallyHappened?
      #Isn’tThatWasCrossExIsAllAbout?

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    2. Lawyer John,

      I am under the impression that each year the scholi is renewed. It is not a four year scholi but a one year scholarship. but usually, they rubber stamp the four years unless you really not cuttting it. Riley is on a different path. For short term, this is good, to get better quality players in for the year, however, he has to build his team from recruiting and a few transfers. That will make the team a smoother place to play.

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      Reply

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