When Lincoln Riley first touched down in L.A. with a 55-10 resume back in 2021, the Trojans were down bad. We’re talking 4 wins, a locker room that smelled more like a funeral home than a football team, and a roster that didn’t even look Power Five material. So Riley did what any coach from the SEC-lite would do—he hit the transfer portal like it owed him child support. And somewhere between grabbing Caleb Williams and turning USC into a one-season wonder, Riley kind of made it clear: he wasn’t banking on California high schoolers to carry him. “We took over a failing program, and we saw a roster full of California kids, a lot of them that weren’t achieving or succeeding. And we can’t just pick from our backyard and expect to win.” he said, throwing subtle shade at the Cali scene.

Fast-forward to 2023, and that whole plan? Yeah, it hit a wall. USC lost 5 of its last 6 games, the defense got cooked weekly, and that shiny portal strategy? Exposed. Turns out, ignoring your backyard when it’s the most talent-rich in the country might not be the genius play Riley thought it was. Word on the street? Cali coaches felt disrespected. By the numbers, only eight of USC’s 23 signees in 2024 were from California. In 2025? Just five out of 24. That’s a felony for a school sitting on top of the most talent-rich state in the game.

And while Riley was brushing off SoCal, DeShaun Foster was clocking in down the street at UCLA. The former NFL back took over the mess Chip Kelly left behind and decided to do the opposite—keep local talent local. On May 29, Foster told George Wrighster’s podcast that California’s been pumping out Heisman winners and champions for decades. “We were still able to keep a lot of local talent in the area and keep them here… So if you look at like a lot of the guys that have gone off, they’ve won Heisman’s they’ve won championships, they’ve they’ve played football at a high level.” And he isn’t lying—Jayden Daniels is the latest in a line of 15 Heisman winners from Cali.

Foster doubles down: “So that’s why we know that California has some of the top talent, and if we can keep some of that here being in the Big 10, we’re going to make the playoffs.” No lie. Foster’s words hit different. Like a wake-up call wrapped in a West Coast beat. Because USC? They weren’t even in the mix for most of that Cali heat. In 2024, just 8 of their 23 signees were from California. In 2025? That number dropped to five outta 24. For a team that sits in the middle of the recruiting mecca? That’s criminal. But here’s where it flips.

Lincoln Riley swallowed his pride and made a move. He brought in Chad Bowden—aka the best GM in the college game—to clean house and rebuild bridges. The mission: fence off California before it’s too late. One year in, the results are loud. USC’s 2026 class has somewhere around 16-17 California kids, straight 27 total commits.

On May 30, Hayes Fawcett took to X and wrote, “Can’t stress enough how impressive USC has been recruiting this year… USC is really putting a fence around California.” With a class that includes the nation’s top tight end in Mark Bowman, a top-3 offensive tackle in Keenyi Pepe, a top-3 cornerback in Elbert Hill, a top-10 quarterback in Jonas Williams, and five Cali boys all ranked top 3 at their positions—USC’s message is loud and clear. They’re No. 1 in the 2026 recruiting rankings with a 94.229 score across 27 commits. Message received.

Lincoln Riley’s recruiting policy at USC

Lincoln Riley doesn’t mess around when it comes to commitment. You pledge to USC? Cool. But don’t go playing the field. In Riley’s world, a verbal commitment doesn’t mean squat—it’s a contract. If you’re still entertaining visits and posting edits in other jerseys, he’ll gladly hold the door open for you.

That might sound harsh, but it’s calculated. Riley wants talent and power, not window-shoppers. He needs recruits who won’t bounce the second they hit the second string. Because building a real team, a sustainable one, means finding players who can handle adversity, competition, and still show up like it’s game day.

That mindset is what’s fueling USC’s recruiting resurgence. With Bowden dialing into SoCal high schools and Riley locking in with serious commits, the culture is shifting. No more one-and-done rentals. USC is betting on long-term investments. Guys who stay, develop, and ball out when the lights hit.

And let’s not get it twisted—they’re still bringing in blue-chip talent from out of state. Ohio lockdown corner Elbert Hill chose USC over Bama. Xavier Griffin—built like an SEC pass rusher out of Georgia—he’s in too. But this isn’t the same Riley who said California wasn’t enough. Now? California is the plan. Even the numbers back it. In 2023, USC barely touched their home turf. Now in 2026, they’re fielding more Cali talent than the last two classes combined. That’s not a trend—that’s a pivot.

So yeah, DeShaun Foster might’ve lit the match with his podcast callout. But Riley responded by torching the entire narrative. He heard the noise. And he built a damn recruiting wall around it. The message? USC is home again. And if you’re from California, you better believe the Trojans are knocking first.