CFB Insider claims Pac-12 coach will ditch USC for NFL coaching gig

College football has always been a stepping stone to the NFL, whether for players or for coaches. Most of the players have to prove themselves at the collegiate level for the NFL teams to look at them with interest. The same goes for college coaches who display incredible abilities with college programs to get into the NFL.

The list of coaches who have stepped up to the league after solid displays with some or the other collegiate program is long. And according to a CFB insider, that list may soon have another name added to it. A claim has been made about a Pac-12 coach ditching USC for an NFL gig.

Is USC going to lose a bright young coach to the National Football League in the near future?

CFB insider predicts NFL gig for USC coach

CFB Insider Bruce Feldman of the Athletic believes that the USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley might be in line for an NFL coaching gig soon. He made such assertions recently on the 'Rich Eisen Show,' where he compared Riley to established young head coaches from various NFL teams such as Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, and Mike McDaniel.

Feldman also clarified that it was his gut speaking and not Riley through him.

“I think at some point, down the road, I think he will coach in the NFL," Feldman said. "That’s my own personal opinion, he’s never told me that, but that’s my gut. I think he’s a guy who, I think, is obsessive when it comes to Xs and Os. I think you see that translate in a lot of guys, whether it's Mike McDaniel or Shanahan or McVay."

Riley has made a name for himself in the college football world, first with the Oklahoma Sooners and now with the Trojans. Under his guidance, USC has emerged as a big competitor in the Pac-12 and one of the candidates to go to the CFB playoffs this season.

The emergence of QB Caleb Willams as the potential first overall pick in next year's NFL draft also makes a strong case for Riley to take a step up. So are the Trojans going to lose their QB1 and the head coach? But before that happens, Riley may have to recalibrate his Trojans for the rest of the season.

Lincoln Riley and Caleb Willams are in a tough spot

The Trojans find themselves in a precarious spot. They tasted their first defeat in the Pac-12 against the Utah Utes in week 8, their second overall, throwing their playoff chances in limbo.

Moreover, there have been calls for USC QB Caleb Willams to sit out the rest of the season to preserve himself for the draft process. But there are still a few weeks to go and things might change quickly if certain results fall USC's way.

The onus of picking up the team falls on Lincoln Riley's shoulders and he might have to rethink certain things. Can he still guide the Trojans to a grandstand finish and keep them on the toes of the Washington Huskies till the end? If he does go to the NFL, he might want to have a CFB national championship under his belt before that happens.