USC Trojans Hosting Elite Transfer Portal Receiver Joseph Williams Before Las Vegas Bowl

Transfer Portal receiver from Tulsa, Joseph Williams has scheduled a visit with the USC Trojans this weekend. The talented freshman will also visit coach Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes, Mississippi State and Utah. Can Lincoln Riley rebuild the receiver room?

Sep 14, 2024; Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane wide receiver Joseph Williams (8) warms up before a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images / Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans offered transfer portal receiver from Tulsa, Joseph Williams on Tuesday and will host the talented freshman later this week from Dec. 12-14. 

Williams hauled in 30 receptions for 588 yards and five touchdowns in 2024 and became the first Tulsa player to be named the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. The former three-star recruit in the 2024 cycle caught fire late in the season, reeling in 21 receptions for 461 yards and five touchdowns over the last four games of the season. 

Williams is a very sought after player for numerous Power 4 programs. The Texas native will have a very busy schedule over the next week and half. According to Williams, he will visit Mississippi State on Dec. 15, Utah on Dec. 16-17, Arizona on Dec. 18-19 and finish at Colorado on Dec. 20-21. 

Sep 14, 2024; Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane wide receiver Joseph Williams (8) cannot catch a pass against Oklahoma State Cowboys cornerback Kale Smith (10) during the third quarter at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images / Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

USC lost a number of key players on offense to the portal, including receivers Kyron Hudson and Duce Robinson. Kyle Ford is out of eligibility and the Trojans will be in serious need of immediate experience and production. In total, USC has 14 transfer portal departures.

Williams would be excellent addition for coach Lincoln Riley’s offense. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound receiver does a great job of using his frame to make tough contested catches and possesses the speed to take the top off of a defense. Wiliams has all the right qualities to be a reliable pass catcher for quarterback Jayden Maiava.

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The Trojans signed three receivers in the 2025 recruiting cycle, four-star Corey Simms (MO), four-star Tanook Hines (TX) and four-star Romero Ison. 

Receiver is not the only position on offense the Trojans will need to be active in the portal at. Running back Quinten Joyner hit the portal on Monday. Joyner was expected to be the lead running back in 2025 with Woody Marks headed off to the NFL. Riley has had success in the past with running backs from the transfer portal, in 2022 it was Travis Dye from Oregon and Austin Jones from Stanford. In 2023 it was MarShawn Lloyd from South Carolina and then Marks from Mississippi State this season.

On the offensive line, center Jonah Monheim and guard Emmanuel Pregnon will be headed to the NFL. Starting right tackle Mason Murphy hit the portal on Monday and backup guards Gino Quinones and Amos Talaele did as well, leaving the depth of the Trojans offensive line in question.

And then of course at quarterback. Miller Moss and Jake Jensen both hit the portal, leaving the Trojans will just Maiava as the only scholarship quarterback for the bowl game. USC signed five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet in the 2025 cycle, but Riley would still like to add a third quarterback to fill out the room.

"I've said it many times," Riley said. "I want us to be a developmental program. I really want us to rely on high school recruiting as much as we can. But you do have to adapt. You do have to adapt to the market. I mean, it's changed so much. Even the fact that we call it a market now. But it is, it is."

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