3 reasons to be optimistic about USC football in 2024

Let's face it, the USC Trojans were among the most disappointing teams in college football last season.

With Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams at the helm, the Trojans managed a paltry 8-5 record. And now Lincoln Riley and company face life without the No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick. Facing one of the more difficult schedules in the country in 2024 won't make things any easier.

There are certainly holes in the USC lineup that should have Riley sweating this summer. I explored those not long ago. However, there are also very good reasons to believe the Trojans will be just fine.

The Holiday Bowl proved a key truth about Lincoln Riley

Pessimism going into the Holiday Bowl was high with Williams and other key offensive contributors sitting out. An inexperienced quarterback throwing to unproven receivers behind a patchwork offensive line felt like a recipe for disaster.

By the end of the night, Miller Moss and his teammates made all that doubt look utterly silly.

Moss threw six touchdowns. Freshman left tackle Elijah Paige held things together up front. First-year receivers Makai Lemon, Ja'Kobe Lane and Duce Robinson had fans salivating.

A meaningless bowl game against opposition with dubious motivation isn't something to pin all your hopes on. That's why I'm not basing my optimism on the Holiday Bowl itself. Instead it's on what the Holiday Bowl reaffirmed about Lincoln Riley: The man knows offense.

Riley's offense isn't going to fall off of a cliff without Caleb Williams. As outstanding as the quarterback was in cardinal and gold, he is one of many uber successful passers who have played for Riley. This isn't a fluke offensive coordinator made by his QB. He makes QBs.

Moss isn't Williams, but he doesn't have to be to be successful in Riley's offense. In fact, he's more likely to run Riley's offense as it's meant to be because he can't improvise the way Williams could. The Trojans are likely to be less explosive. They can make up for that by being more efficient.

The worst offense in Lincoln Riley's history as a head coach or offensive coordinator averaged 39.1 points per game and 6.88 yards per play. USC's floor on offense is still pretty damn high.

D'Anton Lynn's quick flip of the UCLA defense is encouraging

The focus on Caleb Williams with regard to the Trojans' 8-5 record was never a fair one. USC lost five games for one reason and one reason only: The defense was horrific.

Alex Grinch is out. D'Anton Lynn is in. The hope is that change makes all the difference.

And why couldn't it?

USC has invested heavily in the staff under Lynn, bringing in a slew of arguably overqualified position coaches. New linebackers coach Matt Entz was an FCS head coach. Secondary coach Doug Belk was a defensive coordinator at Houston for five seasons. Defensive line coach Eric Henderson was wildly successful as the Rams DL coach.

The Trojans were also aggressive in the transfer portal. At safety, they landed All-Pac-12 honorable mention Akili Arnold from Oregon State and Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year honorable mention Kamari Ramsey from UCLA. All-Pac-12 first team linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold joined his stepbrother in Los Angeles. The cornerback room got an injection of veterans in Mississippi State's DeCarlos Nicholson, UCLA's John Humphrey and Florida State's Greedy Vance. On the defensive line, Vanderbilt's Nate Clifton and Wyoming's Gavin Meyer boast 44 starts between them.

A defense built around a spine of Bear Alexander, Mascarenas-Arnold and Ramsey should have real potential.

Lynn took over a UCLA defense that ranked 79th in ESPN's FPI in 2022. He had them ranked sixth by the end of 2023, without making sweeping personnel changes. If he makes the same transformation at USC, the Trojans won't just be okay, they'll be a shoo-in for the College Football Playoff.

Even if the improvement is more moderate, a USC defense that's top 30 nationally would provide more than enough balance to win a lot of games.

Lynn still needs to prove he wasn't a one-year wonder at UCLA. He's respected in NFL circles for a reason though. We can't say his best is yet to come...but it sure feels that way.

USC's skill position talent is primed to break out

The USC receiving corps wasn't as strong as advertised in 2023. Mario Williams and Dorian Singer were expected to have a huge impact. Instead, they were duds. Aside from rock-steady Tahj Washington, the unit was inconsistent at best.

As much hype as there was for the 2023 receiver group, it feels like the 2024 is flying under the radar. There's so little returning production to point to, it makes sense.

Still, Athlon ranked USC's wide receivers third in the Big Ten behind only Oregon and Ohio State. They're onto something there.

The aforementioned trio of Makai Lemon, Ja'Kobe Lane and Duce Robinson were all freshmen last year. They had some growing pains but looked ready to rock and roll in the Holiday Bowl.

Lemon is a silky-smooth slot receiver who is already garnering rave reviews from training camp. Lane is a big-bodied receiver with an enormous catch radius. Robinson is a former five-star tight end recruit who possesses a 6-foot-10-inch wingspan, giant hands and special athleticism for his size.

The potential is even higher for Zachariah Branch, who was a special teams All-American as a freshman. Anyone who has played with USC in the new College Football 25 video game knows just how dangerous Branches speed can be. I'm not implying video games are good predictors of future success...but in the virtual and real world he's devastatingly fast.

USC didn't have a handle on integrating him on offense in 2023. It's been a subject of focus throughout the offseason.

At running back, the Trojans landed Mississippi State running back Woody Marks who ran for 1,883 yards and and 22 touchdowns over four years. In the passing attack, he had 214 catches for 1,225 yards and five touchdowns. He's set up to be USC's next success story from the transfer portal after Travis Dye and MarShawn Lloyd.

The Trojans have talent at the skill positions and the offensive scheme to make the most of it.