USC's defensive line is true litmus test for program growth under coach Lincoln Riley

Coach Lincoln Riley has a lot that he can point at that indicates progress. It has been frustrating at times, and a program as strong as USC has underachieved in recent memory. Despite that, fans and players are only beginning to see a glimpse of what is possible.

It is far from a finished product, but the power of the Trojan emblem is starting to show itself again on a national scale in terms of what drives college football, and it is also showing up on the recruiting trail.

A big factor that has needed improvement is the defensive line. At the end of the day, having the bodies who can make a four-down stand and keep the opposing team out of the end zone is a must in any conference, but it becomes that much more relevant in the Big Ten.

According to Coach Riley, that part of his football team's roster is not only improved since he's come to Los Angeles but is also one of the areas he feels the defense can lean on.

That should not come as too much of a surprise. Between Jamaal Jarrett, Keeshawn Silver, and Kobe Pepe, among others, there are a lot of DL options with experience for coach D'Anton Lynn to turn to this season.

Then add the additions of newcomers Jahkeem Stewart and Gus Cordova; the defensive line is one area that will have plenty of bodies to rotate on and off the field and provide a fresh set of players to battle it out in the trenches.

Improvement on defensive line starting to showcase itself at USC

The Trojan HC has mentioned before that bulking up that area of the depth chart has been a strong need since arriving from Norman. By his own admission, years of neglect prior to his arrival and then not emphasizing it enough have resulted in USC playing catch-up in terms of recruiting in general, and it has especially played out at the DL positions.

With the new focus of the Trojans and the strong commitments to the program that seemingly allow USC to recruit to the standard that it should always be able to, that is becoming less and less of a concern.

This, along with many other aspects, will not be known until the fall, but a great indication to see if USC truly is back will come with how the boys up front play on defense.