USC Trojans News: USC Football DL enters portal, LB transfers in, more

USC Football DL Kobe Pepe has entered the transfer portal, per Chris Treviño of 247Sports. Pepe didn't play much in his Trojan career, and only recorded a total of three tackles. All three of those tackles were in the 2020 season. Pepe wasn't considered a major talent out of St. John Bosco, as he was only a three-star prospect.

Pepe was part of the lackluster 2020 USC recruiting class, and was only the No. 49 Defensive Tackle in that recruiting cycle (all recruiting ratings and rankings in article are as of 247Sports). This being said, it is also true that SC doesn't have a lot of bodies on the defensive line. Hopefully this transfer is best for both sides.

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USC Football picked up Jamil Muhammad from Georgia State in the transfer portal. Muhammad is a grad transfer and outside linebacker. That's a position that SC obviosuly needs, and Muhammad is likely better than some of the options the Trojans had last season. Muhammad posted 44 tackles and five tackles for loss last season. He had 1.5 sacks, and an interception as well.

Muhammad had two PD's, and a forced fumble as well. He even had a five sack season before in 2021. He had two forced fumbles that year too along with a scoop and score. Muhammad played two Power 5 teams this past season in South Carolina and North Carolina. Against South Carolina, he had two PDs, and against North Carolina, he had five tackles and a tackle for loss.

NCAA News

Mississippi State Head Coach Mike Leach passed away on Monday night. He had complications from a heart condition, and passed at 61 years old. Leach invented the 'Air Raid' offense, which USC Football Head Coach Lincoln Riley has deriven his offense from. He played for Leach at Texas Tech in 2002 as a backup quarterback.

He was then hired by Leach to coach at Texas Tech right after in 2003--making his way up to Wide Receivers Coach by 2007. He was Inside Wide Receivers Coach the next two years for Leach after that. Leach coached against USC for a long time before he was at Mississippi State, when he was the head coach for Washington State from 2012 to 2019.