National college football analyst Josh Pate recently discussed what the future could look like for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans.

LOS ANGELES — Jen Cohen stepped into the role of USC athletic director nearly 18 months ago. She inherited Lincoln Riley as head coach, oversaw a transition to the Big Ten and hired a new men’s basketball coach within her first year on the job while navigating the changing landscape of college athletics.

A college football head coach plays a big role in recruiting. For instance, head coach Lincoln Riley is the face of the USC Trojans. That's especially true in the transfer portal and NIL era when players can go to a different college every season.

Over the past year, the USC Trojans and Lincoln Riley have clearly moved toward emphasizing recruiting Southern California. During his

USC head coach Lincoln Riley let Trojan fans and the rest of the college football world know where his two feet were planted.

The USC Trojans defense was much improved in 2024 under first year defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. In 2023, the Trojans defense allowed 34.4 points per game