USC football’s Lincoln Riley spitting huge game puts all the pressure on in 2026
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As people have been noticing the USC football program’s stellar offseason in regards to the players the team has retained, acquired through the transfer portal, and recruiting, head coach Lincoln Riley is talking big game ahead of 2026. While the USC football team boasts a loaded roster, Riley would go into why he’s so confident for this upcoming season.
After winning nine games last season, with the players retained getting better, like quarterback Jayden Maiava, and having a top-ranked recruiting class, the Trojans could be on their way to major success. Riley would even say to CBS Sports that there’s a “real difference” within the program.
“It’s May, right? But looking at it in May, there’s definitely a real difference. It’s tangible. It’s not just hope,” Riley said. “The program has taken steps, not only in talent acquisition and building the roster, but there’s also teaching them to win, and the progression that comes with that. I know — I’ve seen — the real steps we’ve taken on the field. I’ve seen the signs off the field.”
“We were close enough last year to taste it,” Riley continued. “I know we have absolutely taken steps. Honestly, now, it’s just time to go do it. It’s time. The program’s ready for it. I caught some flak from saying at the end of the year that I thought we had opened up a window, but it’s true. It’s how I feel.”
USC football’s Lincoln Riley compares himself to his days at Oklahoma
With Riley gearing up for his fifth season with the USC football team, the coach would even go to where he is in his career, even saying that he is better than at any time when he held the same role with the Oklahoma Sooners.
“I’m a lot better coach than at any point during the years at Oklahoma,” Riley said. “I’ve definitely learned and grown a lot. There are a lot of things I’ve learned now that I wish I had known back then.”
Riley’s confidence in the Trojans is palpable as the season opens on Saturday, August 29, against San Jose State.
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