UCLA's Bitter Rival Has Odd Response For Spiraling Recruitment

UCLA Bruins arch-rival USC's head coach Lincoln Riley gave an unusual quote following a pair of highly-touted recruits decommitting from the program in the past week.

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches pregame warmups against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins' in-state rival, USC, has hit a rough patch in the recruiting trail as a pair of highly-ranked prospects have decommitted in the past seven days. Four-star defensive end Hayden Lowe switched his destination to Miami while three-star cornerback Shamar Arnoux flipped to Auburn.

Trojans coach Lincoln Riley addressed the disappointing news with a unique take on the current state of the program's recruiting ability and how their current 4-5 record has played a part in the recent loss in prospects.

“I think [recruits] do see the progress, and they do see how close this team is,” Riley said. “And I think the real elite competitors look at it and say, 'Gosh, this team's been that close, and if our class can come in here and add a boost to this and make this better, we can be the ones to help push this thing over the edge.' And so, I think the great ones always see the opportunity. And I do think, recruiting in general, especially when you have a year like ours or that obviously hasn't went the way that we've wanted in the last several weeks, you find out pretty quickly who's about that, and who's really able to take on the head-on challenge,"

A nugget from this quote is: "I think the great ones always see the opportunity." Is Riley pointing the finger toward the recent recruits who backed out of being a Trojan? He is obviously speaking highly of his program, but it could be an indictment on the prospects that are taking their talents elsewhere.

The Trojans are on the precipice of losing one of the top players in high school football as five-star quarterback Julian "Ju Ju" Lewis is slowly leaning towards a commitment flip to Colorado. As the Trojans record continues to weaken, so does their incoming recruiting class.

In the current state of college football, the transfer portal is a major asset but recruiting from high school is still an integral part of building a program. Being able to keep talented high school prospects committed to your program speaks the culture and future success.

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