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USC football gained new talent through Wednesday's signings on the early signing period. But the Trojans and head coach Lincoln Riley now received a massive roster blow three days later.
The Trojans lost edge rusher Sam Greene to the transfer portal — becoming the newest entry per Hayes Fawcett of On3.com. The 6-foot-2, 255-pounder flashed when called upon. He delivered 15 tackles, five stops behind the line of scrimmage, plus two sacks in six games for his career.
Greene first arrived to the “Land of Troy” as a three-star East Coast find. He starred for St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. Greene earned a top 10 prospect ranking in Maryland by all four national recruiting outlets.
Brian Dohn of 247Sports called Greene a “Twitchy interior defensive lineman prospect with burst and ability to play with low center of gravity,” in his prospect evaluation.
The Baltimore representative did provide a strong presence even without firing off from a three-point stance. He got used as a “QB spy” against UCLA for key schemes, including forcing this turnover on downs.
But his departure adds to the list of notable losses on the defensive side for USC. The Trojans are already losing linebackers Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and Mason Cobb to graduation. USC also lost key assistant Matt Entz, as the linebackers coach accepted the offer to become the next head coach at Fresno State on National Signing Day.
Who could fill for the portal loss through USC 2025 class?
Riley and his staff managed to sign nine total defenders Wednesday. A potential replacement for Greene could already be at play.
USC landed Jahkeem Stewart as one of its five-star additions. Stewart is a longer prospect at 6-foot-6, 270 pounds. But the Trojans managed to pilfer him away from accepting the offers from Oregon and LSU on NSD.
A lighter but potentially quicker defender who could replace Greene is Gus Cordova. He's 6-foot-3, 246 pounds and got offered by 50 different universities. The Lake Travis High star from Austin turned down an in-state opportunity from Baylor plus Arkansas and Auburn out of the SEC to play for USC.
Of course, USC's more prized additions resided on the offensive side of the ball. Husan Longstreet of Centennial High in Corona became a five-star signing. Offensive tackle Alex Payne of Gainesville, Georgia, is expected to bolster the line as a four-star addition.
USC will need to improve its pass-rushing production ahead of 2025. No Trojans defender surpassed the three-sack mark in the '24 season. The Trojans, however, ranked 33rd in total yards allowed plus 19th against the pass.
