USC coach Lincoln Riley hasn’t reached the College Football Playoff yet, but Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt believes this fall could be different for the Trojans.
The team brings back significant depth and their most important piece: quarterback Jayden Maiava. Maiava already committed to returning to USC after weighing his options.
Now Klatt argues it’s time for Maiava and the entire roster to deliver results.
“Here’s a team that I’m a little higher on than I think most around the country,” Klatt said on the “Joel Klatt Show.” “If you really evaluate the way that they’ve built their roster and then what they have returning next year, I think it’s time to get a little bit bullish on USC.”
The Trojans have heard similar expectations in recent preseasons. But Klatt points to one key advantage: USC’s ability to protect home field.
The team went undefeated at the Coliseum last season.
“I’ve said [this] about USC and more specifically Lincoln Riley over the last couple of years, when Lincoln decides to be a run-oriented team, they are very difficult to beat,” Klatt said. “They were undefeated at home last year, undefeated at home. So their ability to run the football will allow them to develop wide receivers and at least replace, maybe not completely, but in some. In some aspect, Makai Lemon on the outside.”
Riley’s teams perform best when they establish a ground game early. That approach opens up opportunities for developing receivers to step into bigger roles.
The Trojans need to replace production from Makai Lemon on the outside. But Klatt believes the talent exists to fill that gap.
USC signed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class this cycle. That influx of talent gives Riley more depth than he’s had since arriving in Los Angeles.
“Listen, I just trust Lincoln Riley and his offense for the wealth of experience that he’s had every single year, being able to throw the football. They’re going to have somebody to throw the football to on the outside. There are talented guys there. Plus, they had the No. 1 recruiting class. This is Lincoln’s most talented roster and, again, it’s good where he needs it to be good.”
Riley has consistently developed passing attacks throughout his coaching career. The combination of returning players and incoming recruits should provide multiple options in the receiving corps.
The hype around USC is justified, according to Klatt. The question remains whether that talent translates into actual results on the field.
The Big Ten figures to be extremely competitive this season. That could create opportunities for teams like USC to make noise if they execute consistently.
