Focus on line development at USC is paying off under coach Lincoln Riley

A lot is made of USC being in its second year in the Big Ten. And certainly, moving conferences presents a number of challenges that staying in the Pac-12 wouldn't have. For coach Lincoln Riley, however, realignment or otherwise, his approach would have been the same.

He sat with B1G Today following the conclusion of spring camp and discussed what he's seen from his Trojans over the past weeks. While discussing his observations, the USC HC noted how the biggest area of improvement has come on the offensive and defensive lines.

While asked about the push to improve in the trenches and if the conference switch caused it, coach Riley gave an insightful answer. He mentioned the need to always have strong line play. Perhaps more importantly, having depth throughout those positions is what truly allows teams to compete over the course of a season.

In other words, regardless of the conference, the head coach would have felt the need to address what was a clear area of weakness when he arrived. He did note that in the Big Ten, not having enough bodies on the lines does get punished more compared to teams in other conferences. 

Since sticking with his recruiting approach, the talent across all position groups has increased. According to coach Riley, the most significant leap has been by the bodies up the front. Considering how close some of 2024's losses were and the expected further development across the board, the Trojans could be in better shape than what many are anticipating.

Emphasis at USC is making critically important strides

Naturally, coach Riley feels good about where this year's Trojans are at right now. All coaches around this time of year do. When listening to him, it seems more like he is making a true comparison of where the various position groups were at compared to past years. Speaking on the importance of the O-line and D-line, he elaborated: 

"Big people dominate football. They just do. And the lines of scrimmage obviously are where a lot of these games are certainly won and where these battles really are at."

This class and the upcoming class are highly ranked. The student-athletes who have been with the program and soon-to-contribute transfers have all been part of this Trojan staff's plan to field a more complete and competitive product on the field.

Past seasons have not gone the way or ended where anyone would want them to. USC is truly on the upward path again. When coach Lincoln Riley starts winning at a high level again, it will have been through years of a well-thought-out formula. Those seeds that were planted early when he arrived on campus are beginning to bear fruit.