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Will the USC Trojans football program be able to repeat the success they found in their first year under head coach Lincoln Riley?
USC ended its 2022-23 campaign with an 11-3 overall record and an 8-1 record against conference opponents. They took notable wins against UCLA and Notre Dame before falling to Utah in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game and the Tulane Green Wave in the Cotton Bowl.
USC brought a slew of defensive additions through the football transfer portal, including Arizona defensive tackle Kyon Barrs, Georgia State edge rusher Jamil Muhammad and Texas A&M lineman Anthony Lucas aboard.
“We brought in some good players up front. There's no question about it,” Riley said during spring practice. “And we've got a few more coming. There's more competition. There's less of a gap between what was good for us last year on the front and then kind of the gap between the next level was too big.
“The gap is much smaller. There's a lot more competition, a lot more talent. I think this group has shown they have an opportunity to be more difficult for offenses to block than our group last year.”
Who are some options that can help boost a talented USC roster and help assemble more of a complete team under Riley?
Cam'Ron Johnson, Houston
A complete offense will always require reliable options on the offensive line.
Houston lineman Cam'Ron Johnson, a former 3-star recruit out of Pearland, Texas, is considering USC football and Missouri, according to 247Sports Analyst Clint Brewster.
“Houston transfer OL Cam'Ron Johnson has been ranked with an 89 overall grade in the portal. Very clean and light on his feet in pass pro,” Brewster wrote in an April tweet. “Shows leverage and athleticism. Down to #USC and #Mizzou.”
Johnson entered the transfer portal on March 8 after he started all of the Cougars' 13 games at left guard and earned First Team All-American Athletic Conference honors, according to 247Sports.
“I just feel like it was time for me to part ways with (UH),” Johnson said, via the Houston Chronicle. “It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made, but I know it was the right one. I'm excited for what the future holds and can't wait to get onto my new university.”
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Johnson could join a USC football offensive line that includes seniors Jarrett Kingston, Michael Tarquin, Gino Quinones and Justin Dedich.
Matthew Wykoff, Texas A&M
Wykoff, a former 3-star recruit from Magnolia, Texas, entered his name into the portal after earning a 2022 SEC All-Freshman Team selection, according to CBS Sports.
“I will be entering my name into the transfer portal,” Wykoff wrote in an April tweet. “I am thankful for my time a A&M and the coaching I have received. I will have 3 years of eligibility left.”
The 6-foot-6-inch and 330-pound prospect played in all 12 games and made nine starts for the Aggies in 2022, earning the offense's “Unselfish Leadership Award” at the annual team banquet, according to the team's website. Should he join the USC football roster, he will join a transfer class that includes Tarquin and Kingston, according to 247Sports.
Derrick McLendon, Florida State
McLendon decided to enter the transfer portal as a graduate transfer in March, meaning he did not have to wait for the post-spring portal period to enter his name, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
“Wish him all the best,” Florida State Head Coach Mike Norvell said, via NoleGameday. “There's choices to be made and as we go through college athletics, it's definitely a new age but Derrick did a lot of good things for this program. He's going to leave as a graduate so I'm very proud of him for that and he's going to explore situations that might be the best fit for him.”
McLendon will have the chance to join a USC football defensive line that features a 4-star transfer in Lucas, Purdue lineman Jack Sullivan and Georgia lineman Bear Alexander. The sophomore defensive end, who ended the 2022 season with 17 solo tackles and 3.5 sacks for the Seminoles, can help boost a USC football defense that ranked seventh in the Pac-12 with 415.1 yards allowed per game.
