USC coach Lincoln Riley likes where college football is heading during the infancy of the historic revenue-sharing era. He also sees a shift in the balance of power. Armed with the nation’s No. 1 2026 signing class, per the 247Sports Composite, Riley gave a not-so-subtle jab at the SEC, saying “one part of the country” is no longer hoarding all of the nation’s top talent.
“I think the parity, stories that wouldn’t have happened before that are happening now,” Riley said on The Colin Cowherd Show. “Now there’s not just one part of the country paying players. Everybody’s able to do it and it’s a great thing because I do think it has created a much more level playing field and it has given schools the opportunity to really compete if they want to invest.
“It’s been great for players. We all know there’s still parts of it to be worked out. It’s obviously not a finished product by any stretch of the imagination, but it has gotten better. There has been a lot of positives and I think you’re going to continue to see a lot of great stories, a lot of new opportunities for different types of programs, which I think is really good for the sport as a whole.”
There is much to unpack here. Riley first touched on parity before glossing over “paying players,” which he insinuates was an unfair advantage for programs from the south.
Revenue sharing commenced July 1, 2025, which allowed schools, for the first time, to directly pay players for performance — a historic shift in the landscape of college sports. Schools can now opt into revenue sharing with athletes and athletic departments have clearance to use their own funds to pay players.
Indiana capped the first season of college football’s new era with its first unbeaten finish and national championship, punctuating one of the greatest runs in the sport’s history. Curt Cignetti largely built the Hoosiers were through the transfer portal, highlighted by Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza at quarterback.
Prior to the Big Ten’s three-year reign at the top of college football, the SEC captured 13 of 17 national titles dating back 2006, including six of the first nine after playoff expansion. Clemson, Florida State and Ohio State were the other champions during a stretch dominated by Nick Saban’s Alabama and two titles each from Georgia, LSU and Florida.
To Riley’s point, those aforementioned behemoths fueled the SEC’s vice grip. Following the 2018 launch of college football’s version of offseason free agency, there is a considerably wider dispersion of talent.
USC’s 2026 roster significance
Riley said during a roundtable discussion that he doesn’t sense heightened pressure in 2026, but acknowledged his belief that the USC roster is championship-capable.
Jayden Maiava returns as USC’s starting quarterback after throwing for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns last year, joining running backs Waymond Jordan, King Miller and others.
Tasked with replacing Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane, the biggest change offensively will be USC’s wideout room. Tanook Hines should push for top billing, along with NC State transfer Terrell Anderson. Early enrollee Boobie Feaster is one of three four-star wideout signings in a class packed with future talent.
USC’s offensive line is veteran-led and welcomes five-star tackle Keenyi Pepe, the No. 1 player at his position and fifth-best overall in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Riley chose to go freshmen-heavy in this roster reload, only signing eight transfer additions. Those supplemental portal signings should all find spots in USC’s two-deep, including Penn State edge Zuriah Fisher and Washington linebacker Deven Bryant.
“We’re going to have some young talent that is certainly going to contribute and I think our talent there is pretty unique,” Riley said, “but also, the experienced part of this roster is really experienced and really old too. I mean, you start looking at kind of what we return and then you look at historically, what do championship teams and really good teams typically return, we return a lot in those key areas.”
Riley replaced outgoing defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn with former TCU coach Gary Patterson, whose defense will be front-to-back driven. Patterson’s arrival further propelled USC’s offseason momentum that started in December during the early signings period and Riley hopes lasts through the College Football Playoff.
Add Comment