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Lincoln Riley takes Pat Narduzzi’s tampering allegations with Jordan Addison personally

By Scott Rogust

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 23: Head coach Lincoln Riley of the USC Trojans calls a play during the 2022 USC Spring Football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on April 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 23: Head coach Lincoln Riley of the USC Trojans calls a play during the 2022 USC Spring Football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on April 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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USC head coach Lincoln Riley responded to Pittsburgh’s Pat Narduzzi’s allegations of tampering for wide receiver Jordan Addison.

There have been plenty of transfers in the college football offseason. Perhaps the biggest move was wide receiver Jordan Addison leaving Pittsburgh to play for Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans.

Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi was not happy about the transfer, who reportedly called Riley multiple times to express his displeasure. That, and Pittsburgh officials accused Riley and the Trojans of tampering.

At Pac-12 media day, Riley responded to the accusations of tampering, saying that he takes them “personally.”

“When someone challenges that with no facts and only emotion, do you take it personally? Absolutely you do,” Riley said, h/t the Los Angeles Times. “I understand this is an emotional time. It’s an emotional game with a lot of emotional people. We recruited Jordan just like we did every other transfer. Jordan got in the transfer portal. Jordan came on a visit to USC. Despite all the negative things that were put out magically by somebody, he’s a kid that’s all about ball.”

USC football: Lincoln Riley responds to Pat Narduzzi’s tampering accusations

After talking about his feelings regarding the tampering accusations, Riley would not discuss the reported phone call with Narduzzi, “whether it did or didn’t happen.”

Addison was just one of USC’s huge transfers following the arrival of Riley, who left the Oklahoma Sooners program to become the head coach of the Trojans football program. Caleb Williams, who was Riley’s starting quarterback at Oklahoma, also made the jump to USC.

This past season, Addison caught 100 passes for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was given the Biletnikoff award for being the most outstanding receiver in college football for the 2021 season.

Riley stands by his recruiting process, and took offense to the accusations that they would acquire Addison from the transfer portal via tampering.

USC opens up the season on Sept. 3 against Rice.

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