USC Football coach faces a medical blow that will keep him out indefinitely

Dave Nichol, USC Football's Inside Wide Receivers Coach and Associate Head Coach for offense, is out indefinitely with a private medical matter. Nichol was a great hire for SC, as he was the inside receivers coach under Mike Leach from 2017-2019 at Washington State and 2020-2021 at Mississippi State. Riley of course derived his offense from many elements of Leach's, hailing from that coaching tree. Riley played quarterback under Leach at Texas Tech, and coached under him as well at Tech; also having spent years as Leach's inside receivers coach. The fit with Riley and Nichol was superb.

As Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic laid out, USC Football Analyst Luke Huard will be stepping in for Nichol. The news dropped Monday night, just one night before SC's spring football started. In the past, Huard had been a QBs coach and Offensive Coordinator at Illinois State, Georgia State, and Sacramento State.

Most recently, Huard was an Offensive Analyst at Texas A&M under TAMU Head Coach Jimbo Fisher from 2019 to 2021. Getting the chance to go from being an analyst for one of the better QB whisperers in college football to one of the best in Lincoln Riley has made for a heck of a last four years for Huard and his coaching career.

Now, Luke Huard's career takes another turn with the USC football program as he takes over for Dave Nichol.

Luke Huard, and Dave Nichol when he gets back, will certainly have some great talents inside that they can work with at USC. Currently, the inside receivers for USC look to most likely be Mario Williams, Tahj Washington, and Michael Jackson III (in that order).

Williams has already impressed in Riley's system as a true freshman last year at Oklahoma, making his contributions felt despite competing with other standout targets at OU. Williams caught 35 balls for 380 yards and four touchdowns--providing Caleb Williams with a sure-handed target that he sure used to count on.

Caleb will also like Tahj Washington, who really flourished at times in the first half of the season. Sure, he didn't look as good once Drake London went down, but it was expected. Washington's not a No. 1 yet, and that's fine. He showcased plenty of big-play ability last year and is a great option for when Mario needs a breather. Washington had 54 catches for 602 yards last year and a highlight reel touchdown.

Jackson didn't play in many games last year, but starred in the last game of the year against Cal; putting up six catches for 73 yards. At 6'0", 190 pounds, he has a thick frame along with slot receiver athleticism. Hopefully, these three will make Huard's life a bit easier.

This is a tough break for SC and Nichol, but also a rare opportunity for Huard to come into the fold and learn with some hands-on experience. Look for USC Football Assistant Head Coach, Passing Game Coordinator and Outside Wide Receivers Coach Dennis Simmons to help Huard adjust to the new role.