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The Lincoln Riley era at USC hasn't quite gone as planned over the first three seasons there. Riley started his time in Los Angeles with a very successful 2022 campaign that saw USC reach the Pac-12 title game and Caleb Williams win the Heisman Trophy. Since then, Riley is just 14-11 and 10-10 in conference play across the Pac-12 in 2023 and the Big Ten in 2024.
As a result, Riley will be under immense pressure to perform and become a factor in the Big Ten heading into 2025. The prospective roster for next season took a huge hit on Tuesday when wide receiver/tight end Duce Robinson entered the transfer portal, according to Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports.
Robinson was a two-sport athlete at USC. He is also an outfielder for the Trojans' baseball team. He played in four games and made two starts during the 2024 season.
Robinson will be one of the most coveted names in the transfer portal due to his massive frame — listed at 6-foot-6, 225 pounds — and ability to make contested catches on the outside or over the middle. He is a convenient bailout option for quarterbacks late in the down and can make something out of nothing by towering over cornerbacks on the perimeter.
Robinson is a former five-star recruit who finished fifth on the team in receiving this season with 396 yards on 23 catches. He was also second on the team with five receiving touchdowns, proving his worth as a weapon in the red zone. He is coming off of one of his best games of the season, gaining 63 yards on three catches against Notre Dame in the regular season finale.
Potential Duce Robinson landing spots after USC split
Duce Robinson will have plenty of suitors this offseason and all of the wide receiver-needy destinations will be at his door looking to recruit him.
One of the obvious suitors will be Georgia, who is also in the mix for Georgia Tech star wideout Eric Singleton in the portal. Georgia heavily recruited Robinson when he came out of high school as a five-star recruit and the Bulldogs will be looking to rebuild their receiver room after that group has been a mess this season. Georgia doesn't currently have a go-to guy on the outside and it has more drops than any other team in the Power Four.
Adding Robinson would be a big boost for Georgia, who will be losing both Dominic Lovett and Arian Smith from that already disappointing room. He would go a long way toward giving Kirby Smart a more reliable pass catching room next season.
Robinson also visited Texas and Alabama during the recruiting process, and those two teams will likely be interested in adding him to the roster again next season. Steve Sarkisian would certainly be able to find unique ways to use Robinson's skillset and experience as a receiver/tight end hybrid and scheme up some touches for him, and he would be a great release valve for Arch Manning in 2025. Alabama will also be looking for talented pass catchers to put around Ryan Williams on the outside.
