"It's brutal, man": J.D PicKell drops his verdict on Lincoln Riley's potential hot seat status

Lincoln Riley arrived at USC with sky-high expectations. But the program now finds itself in an uneasy spot. With the team struggling to meet its standards, questions about Riley’s tenure are mounting. On3 analyst J.D. PicKell didn’t hold back in his assessment of Riley’s situation.

On the On3 channel on YouTube, he acknowledged USC’s demand for excellence and the growing frustration among fans.

"I'm a USC fan, and it's time for him to deliver. Put up or shut up because if he doesn't deliver then, yeah, I think he's definitely on the hot seat," a USC fan voicemail said. (Timestamp: 0:20).

"Yeah, it's brutal, man. ... They expect to win at the highest level. Like, nobody at USC is saying, 'Oh, good. Eight wins. Awesome. Sweet. No, that's exactly what we need to pacify us as we head down 55 and go spend some time with the Pacific Ocean on Newport Beach.

"That's not the vibe. That's a logo with tradition, with s high standard. And for Lincoln Riley now, when you look at what he's done on paper, it has been a steady decline."

Despite the criticism, PicKell emphasized that raw numbers don’t tell the full story.

He suggested that a deeper context is needed before writing off Riley’s impact. However, with USC’s high standards, patience is wearing thin.

For Riley, this moment is a defining test. The pressure is immense, and the margin for error is low. The Trojans expect results, and if they don’t come soon, his seat could get even hotter.

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Caleb Williams shows support for Lincoln Riley amid USC pressure

Caleb Williams still has Lincoln Riley’s back. On Saturday, the former USC quarterback showed up at Trojans' spring practice, standing alongside his ex-coach. He didn’t just stop there. Williams posted a story of him and Riley watching practice on Instagram.

“My Guy 🤝,” he wrote, adding “Legends” to the post.

Riley reshared the post.

IG Story of Caleb Williams( Image Credits: Lincoln Riley Instagram)

For ͏Rile͏y,͏ the show of ͏suppo͏rt couldn’t h͏av͏e͏ come at a͏ better time. USC is under͏ pressure after ͏a dis͏appointi͏ng 7-͏6 seaso͏n, ͏and questions about Riley’s leadership are mou͏nting͏. The same coach who turned Williams into a Heisman winner is now searching for answers.

Their connection runs deep. From Oklahoma to USC, Williams followed Riley, and together. Now, as USC gears up for a tough Big Ten transition, Riley could use all the backing he can get. Even if it’s just an Instagram shoutout, Williams' support speaks volumes.