It had been a turbulent morning, at the end of a turbulent recruiting cycle for USC and Lincoln Riley. Ten prospects had already decommitted during the past six months, among them a handful of top-100 talents. Several of the state’s top players, too, had spurned the Trojans in favor of more far-flung football powers, like Alabama or Texas A&M or Penn State, all of which inked more top California recruits for their 2025 classes.
Signing day had been trending in a disappointing direction for USC, well before Wednesday had even arrived. Then, just as the class was coming together, one of USC’s prized defensive assistants, Matt Entz, took the head coaching job at Fresno State, leaving the Trojans in an even tougher spot, scrambling to secure two top linebackers who seemed solid just the night before.