I spoke to someone who watched players’ workouts and said it was obvious QB Caleb Williams and WR Mario Williams have played together and formed a bond. “You could tell right away,” the source said. “Last year, I could tell Keaontay Ingram was a player. I think (Mario Williams) could be like that too.” This is going to be a big recruiting weekend for USC: … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Watch For Williams-To-Williams Connection

The details of Chip Kelly’s new contract were revealed by Ben Bolch of the L.A. Times. Although the terms are viewed as favorable to UCLA, I still think he is overpaid at $4.6 million next season and three more seasons at $4.8 million. Why is he overpaid? How many good teams has he beaten? How hard does he recruit? Does he have a good staff? … Continue reading Chip Kelly Is Stealing

Today’s column has a Hollywood flavor. But first, some football. Did you catch this comment regarding USC coach Lincoln Riley’s tenure at Oklahoma that was made on the Paul Finebaum show? “Every year that Lincoln Riley was the head coach, Oklahoma got just a little worse,” Oklahoma beat writer Jason Kersey of the Athletic told Finebaum. What’s funny is Riley probably agrees. And it’s a … Continue reading If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

I spoke to a USC player and asked the biggest difference between Lincoln Riley being in charge compared to Clay Helton and Donte Williams. “Everyone is listening now,” the player said. “Last year, the players weren’t listening. Positions are up for grabs and Riley said it’s a clean slate. “Before it felt like starting positions would get decided and nothing would change it. Especially for … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: A Big Difference Between 2021 And 2022

I hear USC is mulling whether to offer North Texas offensive tackle Jacob Brammer, who is in the transfer portal. Brammer has offers from Vanderbilt, Indiana, Duke and Tulsa. USC would like to wait and see how spring practice goes but Brammer might decide to commit before the Trojans hold spring drills. It’s the dilemma of the offensive line at the moment. Brammer started all … Continue reading Will USC Offer Another Offensive Tackle?

Could we see a USC-UCLA football scrimmage this fall? The Mid-American Conference has proposed to the NCAA that would allow joint practices/exhibitions between colleges. It’s no different than the Rams-Chargers holding a practice before the season. It would also relieve the monotony of training camp and give teams a chance to see where they stand against outside competition. Imagine if there was a USC-UCLA scrimmage … Continue reading Morning Buzz: Could We See A USC-UCLA Summer Scrimmage?