Lincoln Riley, USC must prove they can develop players at elite level

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USC football has made some advancements in player development in recent years. Zach Hanson has upgraded the Trojans' offensive line and has shown an ability to develop players at a championship level. That standard of quality in player development needs to flow to the rest of the roster. John Brice of USA TODAY Sports talked to Riley, who thinks USC is ready to develop players at the level needed to win big:

"'I just think it shows that the guys in the program are excited about where we’re going,' he said. 'I think it’s a vote of confidence from people in this program on day in, day out basis for the program. No matter how last season went individually, people in this program are developing, getting better, they’re getting the type of support they need at this level to perform, to do well academically, to do well in all areas.'

"Soon, USC players and coaches will be conducting these non-gameday obligations inside the new $200 million Bloom Football Performance Center. The 160,000 square-foot facility, more than twice the size of USC’s current cramped quarters, is a touchstone for any visit with Riley. Initially, he’s showing off the facility’s rudimentary structure from his office balcony to a visitor during a spring 2025 meeting to espousing its features during an expansive call this spring during his commute to his home in Rancho Palos Verdes above the cliffs overlooking Point Vicente Lighthouse."

USC football has made massive investments in the efforts to attract and then develop players. Those efforts need to pay off this season as Riley faces supreme pressure to deliver what USC fans rightly expect from him: a College Football Playoff berth and a true presence among the ranks of national championship contenders.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Lincoln Riley, USC football must develop players better in 2026

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