USC Trojans football coach Lincoln Riley sends a perfect pressure-minimizing message for 2026

USC Trojans football coach Lincoln Riley knows that his time to produce something for the program, at minimum, a CFP appearance, is owed here in his fifth year in Los Angeles and third in the Big Ten.

Riley told USA Today’s John Brice that he feels this year could be the culmination of his best recruiting efforts, complete with the return of quarterback Jayden Maiava, but also minimized the pressure by saying, “every year is big,” and claiming that nothing is guaranteed in the sport after landing the No. 1 recruiting class in the 2026 cycle.

“Every year is big, and I think there is a sense, I certainly understand the rebuild that has happened here. All the work done to get this place back to where we believe it can and should be. I’m excited about the cumulative effect of it, but I know, listen, these opportunities, nothing’s ever a given in this game. College football and the highest level of sports teach that and will humble you in a second. The second it ever feels easy … you better make the most of every single opportunity,” Brice wrote.

“I’ve loved the climb here. We’ve had great moments and had some challenging moments. That’s part of taking over, but I’m very bullish on the work done, the progress made and the opportunity we’ve created for this program.”

Of course, that 2026 class will have only a few players making a difference in their freshman seasons. USC had a top-20 class over the past three seasons, but its No. 8 2023 class is all but gone now. Still, the Trojans’ 2024 class is close to maturing and includes difference-makers like starting corner Marcelles Williams, rotational receiver Xavier Jordan, and starting EDGE Kameryn Crawford.

USC only has predictions to get better in 2026

Riley’s program is expected to take a step forward in 2026. Anything short of 10 wins, or nine and a surprising CFP appearance as the first three-loss team to make it, will be a disappointment.

Ending up in the Alamo Bowl has to be a thing of the past. USC spends like a big winner, but hasn’t made the CFP for the entirety of its existence. That’s 12 years without a meaningful postseason appearance. 2016 was the last time the Trojans finished ranked in the top 10, and while they won the Rose Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions, that wasn’t a playoff game. An expanded CFP would’ve been nice a decade ago for USC.

Riley has big expectations, and he’s seemingly aware of them. Hence, he is trying to downplay them as much as possible during media appearances. Smart man, but that doesn’t make them go away.