|
Despite the popularity of the transfer portal, recruiting is still how college football coaches build the foundation of their teams and add talent year after year. Coaches can fill voids through the portal, which has impacted high school prospects, but recruiting is still the lifeblood of a program. With some new coaches looking to build rosters, some coaches nearing the hot seat and others trying to get their programs on track, we look at which teams need to have strong performances in the 2023 recruiting cycle.  USC TrojansUSC was struggling on the recruiting trail prior to Lincoln Riley taking over as head coach. The previous staff had a good run in 2021 with 10 ESPN 300 commitments, but that was after landing only one -- wide receiver Gary Bryant -- in the 2020 class. Riley got five-star defensive back Domani Jackson to recommit and landed ESPN 300 running back Raleek Brown, safety Zion Branch and receiver C.J. Williams, but didn't have enough time to completely turn the program around. The program finished the 2022 cycle ranked No. 52 in the class rankings, landing eight high school commitments. The remainder of the class was filled with transfers, including Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams and receiver Mario Williams. Those are huge additions, but Riley and his staff need to build a good foundation in California and try to keep more of the top in-state recruits home than the previous staff.
|
