"Done a good job sticking to our guns" — USC HC Lincoln Riley gets real about backing his limited QB room talents

Lincoln Riley took over as the head coach of the USC Trojans back in 2022. In two seasons with the program, he has secured a 19-8 overall record. With the Trojans transitioning into the Big Ten this upcoming season, Riley will be looking to compete for the national title in the new 12-team playoff format.

Before joining the USC Trojans, Riley spent five seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners. So far, he has mentored three Heisman-winning quarterbacks in the form of Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield and Caleb Williams. This is a testament to Riley's ability to develop great quarterback talents.

During a recent interview with Adam Breneman, Riley spoke about how he develops his quarterback talents. He stated that it all begins with a proper evaluation of the quarterbacks that the team wants to work with. It then depends on the flawless execution of their internal list to develop these players into future stars.

"I think we've done a good job of sticking to our guns on the way we evaluate guys. We've, you know, historically not offered a lot of guys. We really zeroed in on the people that we really believe in, and we have not cast a very wide net, and I think we stayed true to that," Riley said.

"We kind of got our internal list of priorities that we stick to that we very much believe in. I think we've been able to put them in some really good situations in terms of the coaching staff, the assistant coaches, the scheme, been able to put good players around them. And I think we've been able to adapt," he added. (10:50)

The last Heisman-winning quarterback Riley developed was USC's Caleb Williams, who won the prestigious trophy in 2022. He was then drafted with the No. 1 overall pick by the Chicago Bears in this year's NFL Draft.

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CFB analyst predicts downfall for Lincoln Riley's team ahead of tough 2024 season

After a successful stint with Oklahoma, Riley has not been able to replicate that in his two seasons with the USC Trojans. Last season, the team finished with an 8-5 overall campaign, which was not what Riley would have hoped for.

CFB analyst Paul Finebaum believes that all hope might be lost for Riley and the Trojans ahead of their tough 2024 season schedule. Speaking to Sports Illustrated, he said the Trojans coach has "lost control" after two bad campaigns and is now waiting to face the music:

"Bruce Feldman said a minute ago that he thought they are looking at about seven wins, which is pretty dangerous when you are the USC coach and you have two back-to-back bad seasons. I mean, I think it's over for Lincoln Riley, anyway. To me, he's lost control. And once you lose control, you're like in the middle of a quicksand."

It will be interesting to see if Riley can prove his naysayers wrong. Can the Trojans emerge as a dark horse in the new 12-team playoff format?