This is a landmark year for USC football, as the former Pac-12 program prepares for its first season in the Big Ten Conference. But make no mistake, this is also a critically important campaign for Lincoln Riley. The Trojans head coach is under enormous pressure to definitively bring this team back to elite status.
While his success will primarily be judged on the field, scoring a major recruiting heist should help Riley and USC inch closer towards their goal. Four-star offensive tackle Carde Smith, who originally committed to play football for Auburn starting in 2025, is flipping his allegiance to the gold and cardinal red, per Hayes Fawcett of On3.com.
The 6-foot-6, 285-pound prospect out of Mobile, Alabama chose the Tigers in the spring but officially decomitted on June 26 following a visit to the Los Angeles-based university. Fans have been waiting for the news to become official, and now it is.
But the Auburn football community might still want some answers. Smith is seemingly providing them.
“After I went on my official visit this summer, just going around the school, meeting with the coaches and the players, I knew it was home,” he told Rivals' Sam Spiegelman. “USC fits me because they have everything I want and more. The OL room is like a family.”
Smith emphasized how the Trojans constantly check up on him and treat him “like family.” Lincoln Riley is surely delighted to hear such flattery bestowed upon his program. And when the time comes, he will ask the Williamson High School star to reciprocate those feelings in the trenches.
USC football does not want to wait another year to make a lasting impact on the Big Ten landscape, though. Patience is already running thin.
The Lincoln Riley era must get back on track in 2024
Riley's arrival has undoubtedly led to a massive rejuvenation for the USC brand, but it is taking a bit longer than expected for him to leave an indelible mark in the standings. A mind-boggling collapse versus Tulane in the Cotton Bowl overshadowed a noteworthy 11-win season, and a miserable 2023-24 raised deeply concerning questions about Riley's ability to succeed in LA.
His patented offensive style continues to translate well, but the defense is somehow regressing. That low standard must be immediately and significantly elevated following this Big Ten move. The style of play will be more physical and defensively-oriented. Riley and USC have no choice but to adapt.
Players like Carde Smith should ideally allow the Trojans to make a smooth transition to the loaded conference. Protecting the starting quarterback, whomever it is, is always a top priority. Hopefully, the offensive line will already be in good standing when the recruit joins the team next year.
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