USC Football: Our Transfer Portal Wishlist For Trojans Heading Into 2024
Like pretty much every school these days, USC is dealing with an exodus of notable talent from their roster via the transfer portal. Quarterback Malachi Nelson, edge Korey Foreman, cornerback Domani Jackson, and running back Raleek Brown headline that list of departures from USC.
Regardless if USC kept all their talent and didn't lose a single player to the transfer portal, gaps remain in their roster. USC needs more top-tier talent at all three levels of the defense, they need a better offensive line product and also need to replace Caleb Williams.
Quarterback Miller Moss just lit up Louisville with six touchdowns, so that's a very promising sign for Lincoln Riley. But it's been reported that Lincoln Riley is still looking to bring in another quarterback (or two) via the transfer portal. So with the quarterback position being the clear priority here, let's take a look at some other position players that USC ought to focus on recruiting from the transfer portal.
First off, the last remaining (nearly sure-fire) gem of the 2024 transfer portal is former Texas A&M wideout Evan Stewart. In two years in College Station, Stewart caught 91 passes for 1,163 yards and six touchdowns. He was a five-star prospect and one of the best prospects in his cycle coming out of high school.
Stewart, theoretically, would give the Trojans a bonafide WR1, which would make the life of their 2024 QB1 a whole lot easier. It's been reported that USC is in the running for Stewart, so he is definitely one to keep an eye on for Trojan fans.
Offensive lineman Ashanti Cole is another name to watch who's currently in the portal. The two-year starter out of Grambling State held his own against LSU last season and could bring an athletic presence to the interior of the offensive line in USC's air raid. The 6'4, 315-pound guard has at least 2 more years of eligibility left.
Defensively, there are a lot of needs for USC as they start their first season as a member of the Big 10. Along the defensive line, they're looking to get bigger.
Former Purdue defensive lineman Nic Scourton led the Big 10 in sacks last year, but based on some reports, it doesn't look like the Trojans are in his consideration set. Isaiah Harris, a 6-4 280-pound defensive lineman from Alabama might be worth a phone call.
He doesn't have a ton of in-game experience, but Alabama is always loaded with defensive line talent which may be a reason why he hasn't seen the field much. Cyrus Moss is Bishop Gormon's product who enrolled in Miami a few years back but hasn't seen much playing time either. He might be worth a phone call as well, and he would add some length to the Trojan defensive line.
Moss was a very highly touted prospect coming out of high school. He does have a fast twitch element to his game, but the question with Moss is whether or not he can up his physicality to be able to handle the size of offensive lineman in college.
Jackson Bratton is a former UAB linebacker with some great experience. He notched 101 total tackles in two seasons at UAB, and if he were to transfer to USC he might be the most experienced linebacker in their LB room.
As far as defensive backs, the Trojans should look no further than former Georgia Bulldog A.J. Harris. Harris spent just one season in Athens and played in seven games. As a true freshman playing meaningful reps at Georgia, Harris is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after defensive backs in the portal. He would step into the defensive back room at USC and compete for a starting role immediately.
