University Southern California Trojans
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Lincoln Riley Expects USC Football to Play an "Extremely High Level" of Defense in 2023
March 07, 2023 | Football
Los Angeles, CA. -- The pieces are finally in place for Lincoln Riley as USC's head football coach.
"I feel like it's kind of been our first true offseason with a full staff and kind of everybody the way we want it," Riley said Tuesday (Mar. 7) following the Trojans' second practice of their 2023 spring camp.
This time last year, Riley and Co. were just starting to mix the concrete for the foundation they would eventually lay in 2022 for a new era of USC football.
"I think in a sense, maybe everybody felt like a new guy last year, both staff and players," Riley reflected.
Now, at the start of Year 2, USC's football program has launched its spring camp from a more "traditional" starting point. Players, coaches and support staff not only know their roles but have an entire season of experience in them.
The contrast between Riley's inaugural camp as USC's head coach and his second spring camp, which started this Sunday, is hard to overstate. The comparison is so stark for Riley, that he initially couldn't pinpoint the biggest difference when asked on Tuesday.
"Everything…everything," Riley repeated with an incredulous smile.
"I think you have the sense that we're building upon something now, as opposed to just starting something," Riley continued. "There's a framework, right? A foundation in place, and now it's time to really build. And I think our guys sense that."
Portions of the framework that Riley had to tear down and build up from scratch upon his arrival were USC's nutrition, and strength and conditioning programs. Both are tenets of a successful football program, but both programs have to be afforded time in order to see lasting results.
Bennie Wylie, the team's acclaimed director of football performance, inherited a roster in January of 2022, which was in need of transformation. It was a process that was only starting to develop by the time the Trojans started their first spring camp.
Rachel Suba, the Trojans' director of sports nutrition, joined the program last summer and is in her first spring camp as a Trojan. Riley highlighted Suba's work Tuesday and described the nutritionist as an "underrated" part of USC's staff and "elite" at her craft. Her staff has made "huge" improvements, despite having less than a year to do so.
"The gains are there," Riley said of USC's offseason progress. "That's why you have to invest in those things, because it makes a big difference. And we can see that just being on the field for the last two days."
Now that last year's major improvements are coming to fruition, Riley and his staff have their eyes set on what's next on the agenda: USC's defense.
"We have a very clear plan in place to play the way we expect to play defensively," Riley said Tuesday. "We expect to be an extremely high-level defense here at USC. No reason in the world why we can't and why we won't be. And we expect that [it] will happen and happen soon."
Part of that plan includes the addition of nine new defenders to USC's roster this spring, four of which came via the NCAA Transfer Portal. Riley, who relied on the transfer portal heavily last season, once again seems pleased by the character of the newest Trojans.
"How they've handled the offseason, their demeanor, wanting to come fit into this culture, wanting to win a championship, like the team-first mantra here -- these guys have fit into that very, very well," Riley said.
Mason Cobb, an inside linebacker who originally hails from Oklahoma State, seems to have found his stride quickly. Riley compared his arrival to that of inside linebacker Shane Lee last season, who found a leadership role early on.
"Cobb comes to mind as a guy that's starting to assert himself in that way," Riley explained Tuesday.
USC's mission to improve its defense is also aided by the fact its defenders now have a season of experience under defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and his scheme.
"We're at a point where we can ask more of our guys where they understand what we're doing and why we're doing it," Riley said. "At times last year, we asked them to do things and we got kind of a crazy, 'deer in the headlights' look. Not as much of that now. And we've had a nice corps of leaders who have really helped push it along."
So while the Trojans have begun this year's spring camp from a much more ideal starting point, it is only one piece of the puzzle in USC's national championship aspirations.
"What was acceptable 12 months ago is not necessarily acceptable now," Riley explained. "If we're going to raise the standard of this program, it's going to happen in everything that we do. So we're way more advanced, certainly in every sense of the word than we were last year. But the standard is also higher too. So we've continued to push them and I've been proud of the way they've responded up to this point."
Notes from USC's second practice of spring:
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Inside linebacker Eric Gentry will be out the entirety of camp as he underwent surgery earlier this winter.
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The sophomore injured his ankle during USC's Week 7 matchup and "never got back to 100 percent," according to Riley.
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The head coach noted that "mental reps" will be very beneficial for Gentry, who hit the ground running when he transferred to USC last June.
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Incoming freshman quarterback Malachi Nelson has participated in practice so far despite having shoulder surgery in December.
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Nelson's first throwing session since surgery was during Sunday's spring practice. "That's like a golfer going out to play in a tournament without practicing or hitting balls for three months," Riley said.
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Riley expects "not too many limitations" for Nelson this spring, as the quarterback should be "able to do most" of USC's practice drills.
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USC's defensive backs have put on more weight this offseason in order to bring "more pop physically," according to Riley.
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The head coach specifically highlighted Calen Bullock and Latrell McCutchin for their gains.
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Jacobe Covington has had a "phenomenal offseason" of development.
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Domani Jackson, who was injured most of his freshman season, has participated in practice so far this spring.
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Competition at linebacker is "very apparent" just two days into spring camp.
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"That's going to be very fun to watch," Riley said.
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The head coach also noted how USC's defense needs "extreme production" from its linebackers in 2023.
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