It seems like it was just yesterday that the college football season ended as Michigan topped Washington in the national title game in Houston. When the game ended, the worst time of the year began for college football fans: the dreaded offseason. Nearly eight months without college football. It feels like it just started, but we have somehow already made it to May. The weather is getting warmer, and we are getting closer to football season. Spring football just concluded for USC football, and Trojans fans can't wait for the 2024 season to roll around.
Spring football is one of the best times of the college football offseason as a sense of hope comes to every fan base around the country. It's exciting to see your team in action in the first time, even though it's just a scrimmage. You started to see the roster taking shape and projected depth charts start trickling out. Spring football is the first sign of the season, and now that it's over, college football fans are really in the home stretch. The cold winter months are tough to survive without football, but the excitement that comes with spring football makes everything easier. There is still a ways to go before the new season, but it is coming.
This next season of college football is going to be an exciting one, and there are a ton of reasons to be looking forward to it. There are a lot of changes coming to the game like rule changes, coaching changes, conference changes and playoff changes. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the new season will be the new conferences. The Pac-12 is gone, and the Big Ten and SEC are going to be loaded. They both seem to be on the verge of forming super conferences.
The SEC will be welcoming Texas and Oklahoma to the conference next year, and the Big Ten is getting a good crop of Pac-12 teams as USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are all joining the conference. Both the Big Ten and the SEC are going to be absolutely loaded next year, and it seems like more schools will potentially join the conferences in the future.
Next season, the College Football Playoff will look different as well as it is expanding to 12 teams. There will also be first round games on college campuses. More teams will have a chance to make the CFP, and there will be more games. It's going to be fun.
The pressure is on for USC football
One team that has a massive offseason ahead of them is the USC football team. Head coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans are coming off of a very disappointing season that resulted in a 7-5 finish. USC was very close to winning the Pac-12 and getting into the College Football Playoff in 2022, but they came up short in the Pac-12 title game. They returned most of their talent from that team, including Heisman winner Caleb Williams, but they took a major step back last year.
When Lincoln Riley took the head coaching job with USC football, it looked like the Trojans were poised for success. However, after last year, some USC fans are beginning to question Riley. The team was loaded with talent coming into the season and expectations were through the roof. The season just didn't pan out, however, and now they are losing Williams to the NFL.
This upcoming 2024 season is a huge one for Lincoln Riley and USC. Another disappointing season like last year could put Riley's job in jeopardy, and things will be much tougher on them this season as they are making the move to the Big Ten. The new-look conference is going to be loaded, and the Trojans have to be ready.
The first window of the transfer portal got USC football pretty good as the Trojans lost some good talent. Domani Jackson, Malachi Nelson, Mario Williams and more hit the portal after last season ended. USC has gotten some good talent in the portal as well, but they ended up losing 29 guys and gaining 15.
Now, the spring transfer portal is closed and we are close to seeing finalized rosters for teams. There are still a lot of players that are uncommitted, but we shouldn't be seeing too many more people enter. There has been some news about entries after the portal technically closed, but that news will start to dwindle away.
USC had better luck in the spring transfer portal window as they didn't lose as many key players, but there was still one departure that especially stings, and it was a big surprise to see it happen.
Jason Zandamela, IOL
Jason Zandamela was one of the top offensive linemen in the 2024 recruiting class, and he ended up enrolling early with the Trojans. He is a true freshman and he spent just a couple months on campus with the team before he decided to hit the transfer portal. Despite not having any college playing experience, he instantly became one of the top prospects in the portal, and he recently committed to play for Florida.
This is a big surprise considering how talented Jason Zandamela is and the fact that he is a true freshman. He was expected to end up being a key piece along the line of scrimmage for the Trojans, but he is now going to be a key piece for the Gators.
Not only is it a surprise, but this one hurts for USC football, too. The offensive line is the most crucial part of the offense. You can have all the weapons in the world, but if you have a weak offensive line, the offense probably isn't going to be that good. The Trojans need to build a strong OL as the style of play in the Big Ten is to get big and dominant at the line of scrimmage. Jason Zandamela would've been a great player to have.
The spring window wasn't too painful for the Trojans, but this departure certainly hurts. It's pretty rare to see someone transfer that quickly, but it is becoming more popular in this new era of college football.
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