The beaches of Southern California have become a symbolic quicksand for USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley. No matter how much he struggled to get out of the hole, it seemed the harder he tried, the deeper he sank. But just when hope seemed lost, a lifeline appeared — a figure poised to rescue not just Riley, but the entire USC football program. Under Riley’s tenure, the Trojans have experienced a clear downward trajectory. They slipped from 11 wins, to 8, and now just 7. And the outlook for the 2025 season isn’t much brighter. However, starting in 2026, the tides could be shifting in dramatic fashion — thanks to one man who, ironically, comes from a fierce rival.
USC GM, Chad Bowden, on USC’s recruiting history:
“Look back at Pete Carroll’s classes ’02, ’03, ’04, over 80 percent of the recruiting classes were from the state of California. History repeats itself. It always does…”
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That man is Chad Bowden, USC’s newly appointed General Manager. Bowden arrived at USC after a successful run with Notre Dame, a program that made the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. The move raised eyebrows, not only because of the rivalry between USC and Notre Dame but also because USC offered Bowden a massive pay raise — boosting his salary from $250,000 at Notre Dame to $1 million at USC. While Bowden now faces the prospect of being branded a traitor by some Irish fans, he seems unbothered. Instead, he’s embraced the opportunity to help revive a historic program that he himself referred to as a “sleeping giant.”
Bowden’s arrival has already paid dividends. USC currently boasts the No. 1 ranked recruiting class for 2026, and Bowden’s fingerprints are all over it. During a recent address to Trojans fans, Bowden laid out his blueprint for how he plans to restore USC to national prominence. One aspect of that plan has particularly caught the attention of both fans and analysts — his unwavering focus on recruiting locally. Bowden was specifically asked about USC’s diminishing control over California’s rich talent pool, something that was once the bedrock of the program’s dominance under Pete Carroll. Bowden made it clear that regaining that foothold is at the heart of his strategy.
“We’re going to do everything through the city,” Bowden stated. “We’re going to do everything through the state. That’s going to be our primary focus.”
He elaborated further, explaining that history tends to repeat itself, and successful programs tend to follow specific patterns. In USC’s case, their dominance was tied directly to owning the state of California in recruiting. Bowden’s vision is to restore that dominance and make California’s best talent stay home.
USC’s location alone should make this goal achievable. The program sits in the heart of Los Angeles, one of the country’s largest and most lucrative sports markets. Pairing that with Lincoln Riley’s reputation as an offensive mastermind should, in theory, make USC a highly attractive destination for top recruits. Thanks in part to Bowden’s influence, the pieces are starting to fall into place, and excitement is building within the program. The hope is that this buzz will soon translate into national attention and respect.
One prominent voice among USC fans, a podcaster known as “USC J” from the “LOST IN THA SAUCE” podcast, weighed in on Bowden’s approach. According to him, Bowden’s commitment to locking down California talent should be music to USC fans’ ears. Historically, USC has had elite talent within arm’s reach, and losing that advantage has been a key factor in their decline. Bowden’s understanding of California’s unique recruiting landscape, combined with his appreciation for the local talent, is what makes this strategy so promising.
USC J went even further, declaring Bowden’s hire as a turning point for the entire program. “USC, as we knew it these past couple years, that is no more,” he said. “You can forget about it. Throw that out the window. This is a new regime, a new plan, a new strategy. It’s a new structure. And now, it’s go-time.”
Despite the optimism, not everything has gone smoothly for Bowden and Riley. A prime example is the ongoing recruitment battle for 5-star quarterback Ryder Lyons. Lyons, a highly touted in-state prospect from Folsom, would seem to fit perfectly within Bowden’s plan to keep California’s best talent home. Yet, USC is far from a lock to land him.
Lincoln Riley, long known as a quarterback guru, has built a reputation for developing elite signal-callers. Four of Riley’s former quarterbacks are currently NFL starters, and three of them won the Heisman Trophy. Caleb Williams, who followed Riley from Oklahoma to USC, is among them. Given Riley’s track record and the Trojans’ renewed focus on California recruiting, it would seem natural for Lyons to be drawn to USC. However, that hasn’t been the case.
Instead, Oregon — one of USC’s new Big Ten rivals — has made major strides with Lyons. The Ducks have built a reputation as one of the most stable and talent-rich programs in the conference. Coming off a conference championship, Oregon has established itself as a recruiting powerhouse with multiple top-5 classes in recent years. Led by head coach Dan Lanning, the Ducks are seen as a well-oiled machine. Add in Oregon’s close relationship with Nike and its extensive NIL resources, and it’s easy to see why Lyons is giving Oregon serious consideration.
When asked which school he talks to most, Lyons didn’t hesitate to name Oregon. “Pretty much all the time,” Lyons said, highlighting his strong relationships with both Lanning and offensive coordinator Will Stein. Lyons even went so far as to call Stein the best offensive coordinator in the country.
It’s worth noting that Stein may no longer be at Oregon by the time Lyons enrolls in 2026, but Lyons isn’t overly concerned. He expressed full confidence in Lanning’s ability to hire top replacements. Lyons also shared that he plans to visit several schools this spring and expects to make his college decision in July. Once committed, he plans to shut down his recruitment entirely.
This recruitment battle will serve as an important early test for Bowden’s locally-focused strategy. Can Bowden and Riley convince a top in-state talent like Lyons to stay home, or will they lose him to a fellow Big Ten school just a state away? The outcome could provide an early indication of whether Bowden’s approach is truly capable of returning USC to its former glory — or if it’s just another dose of wishful thinking.