ESPN CFB writer shatters rumors that Jordan Addison picked USC football for NIL money

Even before USC football had brought Jordan Addison in via the transfer portal, college football fans and analysts cried and complained that the Trojans were only going to land the 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner because of NIL money.

They hilariously ignored that USC doesn't even have an NIL collective among other obvious factors that were working towards USC's favor outside of NIL. ESPN college football writer Paolo Uggetti put an end to those cries just minutes after Addison signed with SC:

The hatred for the USC program has always been there, but it kicked up quite a few notches when the Addison rumors flew around. Now that Addison is here, it's more than plausible that the hatred for this program could pick up again. It's undoubtedly one of the best parts about being a USC fan.

It wouldn't have even mattered if Jordan Addison had picked USC football for NIL purposes.

The funniest part about the whole NIL discussion with Jordan Addison and USC is that it wouldn't even have mattered if the elite wide receiver had picked the Trojan program for NIL reasons. SC can't give him money themselves. Again, they don't even have a collective. Nothing illegal was happening at all.

Still, however, it was interesting to see Uggetti point out the facts about this situation. Addison's relationship to Caleb Williams and his family was the major factor here. Add in the fact that Lincoln Riley is known as the best offensive coach in the country and it's a clear match made in heaven for Addison.

The best wideout in football entering 2022, with a top three quarterback in football heading into 2022, with a top five coach in football heading into 2022 (No. 1 offensive coach) at a program that's churned out 11 National Championships (second all-time) and seven Heisman Trophies (first all-time) was a perfect combo, and Addison knew that.

Known as Wide Receiver University, USC still produced the best wide receiver in the country in 2021 last year, even in their worst season in program history. Drake London was the runaway favorite for the Biletnikoff Award before he went down to injury in the eighth game of the season and missed the rest of the year. He was also the first wideout taken in the 2022 NFL Draft last month (eighth overall).

To be able to do this in one of the worst offensive systems USC has ever had and in THE worst season USC has ever had shows how much potential the program has when it comes to developing Addison even further. If SC is developing WR's even better than Addison while they're at their worst, imagine what they can do with Addison now that Riley is at the helm.

The football aspect of the decision outweighed the NIL money Addison could have received at other schools. He's in the perfect spot as he heads into the 2022 season, and will look to add a second Biletnikoff trophy to the mantel very soon.