USC Trojans Hosting Transfer Portal Running Back Terion Stewart: Former Bowling Green

The USC Trojans are set to host their first recruiting weekend since the transfer portal opened up on Monday, Dec. 9. Among the players coming to campus is former Bowling Green running back Terion Stewart.

Sep 30, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Bowling Green Falcons running back Terion Stewart (4) runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the second half at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans are set to host former Bowling Green running back Terion Stewart Thursday, Dec. 12 as part of their first recruiting weekend since the transfer portal opened on Monday. 

Stewart has rushed for 2,359 yards and 23 touchdowns in his career. He is ranked as the No. 6 running back, per the 247Sports Transfer Rankings and will have one season of eligibility remaining. 

Sep 30, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Bowling Green Falcons running back Terion Stewart (4) runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the second half at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Running back is certainly a priority for the Trojans considering all of the production they are losing in that room. Woody Marks is headed off to the NFL after a sensational senior campaign in his lone season in the Cardinal and Gold. The Mississippi State carried the ball 198 times for 1,133 yards and nine touchdowns. He became the first USC running back to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark since Ronald Jones in 2017. Marks also tied for first on the team in receptions (47) and earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors. 

Redshirt freshman Quinten Joyner entered the portal on Monday. Joyner carried the ball 63 times for 478 yards (7.9 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. The Texas native was set to become the Trojans lead back in 2025, but once again coach Lincoln Riley will be looking in the portal to shore up his backfield. USC still has freshman Bryan Jackson on the roster. The former three-star recruit in the 2024 cycle will provide depth in the running back room.

USC signed two running backs in the 2025 recruiting cycle, Dinwiddie (VA) four-star Harry Dalton and Southlake Carroll (TX) three-star Riley Wormley.

Riley has been successful bringing in running backs in the portal. In 2022, it was Travis Dye from Oregon and Austin Jones from Stanford. In 2023 it was MarShawn Lloyd from South Carolina and Marks from Mississippi State in 2024. Each running back has achieved success playing in Riley’s system. 

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"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."

USC has to completely revamp its roster after losing a number of key contributors to the portal and a large senior class. In addition to Stewart, the Trojans will host the AAC Freshman of the Year, Tulsa receiver Joseph Williams. They will have a pair of cornerbacks on campus, Chasen Johnson from UCF and DJ Harvey from San Jose State. Williams and Johnson both have three seasons of eligibility remaining and Harvey has one. 

The transfer portal will officially close on Saturday, Dec. 28 and reopen after spring practices. 

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