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Friday, March 29, 2024

The Oregon vs. USC recruiting rivalry is in its infancy, and the Pac-12 should be thrilled

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As soon as USC hired Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma, the shift in recruiting immediately went south.

Oregon figured it could more than hold its own with Mario Cristobal’s excellent track record. But then he left for Miami.

Ducks’ athletic director Rob Mullens had to find an answer to Riley, and find an answer he did. Dan Lanning came to Eugene and salvaged the class of 2022, which now ranks No. 25 in the nation after bottoming out in the 80s after Cristobal’s departure.

Order restored, correct?

Not so fast, says Trojans Wire editor Matt Zemek. At first glance, Riley’s first class wasn’t impressive, but in his first few months at the helm of the Trojans, Riley filled out the USC roster with notable transfers, looking for that quick fix. Even their recruiting class is better than it appears to be upon further inspection.

“Lincoln Riley definitely sees the transfer portal not only as something he needed to exploit in a transition year, but as a tool he will continuously use to replenish the USC roster in 2023 and beyond,” Zemek said. “It’s a both-and approach, and I think that’s the right way to look at it. Annual use of the portal is a must. Maybe not always on a large scale, but certainly for acute needs which require seasoned players as opposed to high-school recruits who will need more time to develop within a system.”

BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Trojans want to win now and not be a rebuild. That plan took a significant step with the signing of former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams. The Ducks know Williams well after he torched a depleted Oregon defense in the Alamo Bowl.

Meanwhile, back in Eugene, Lanning went back to basics and recruited the prep ranks heavily and landed nearly every single targeted player, including flipping 4-star RB Jordan James from Georgia and beating out USC for 4-star CB Jahlil Florence and 4-star OL Dave Iuli.

In the traditional recruiting battle it’s Lanning: 1, Riley: 0.

But this is far from over and even though Oregon struck the first body blow, according to Zemek, USC isn’t concerned.

“[Washington 5-star OT] Josh Conerly is the big unknown here. If USC gets him, it’s a home run. If the Trojans miss on him, then there might be some cause for concern,” Zemek said. “However, the bigger picture is that Riley has already upgraded USC’s roster in a transition year. Imagine what he will do in a non-transition year. USC knows Oregon will recruit at an elite level under Dan Lanning. The problem for Oregon is that whereas Mario Cristobal was able to raid Southern California under Clay Helton, USC is going to keep its backyard talent home under Lincoln Riley.”

Maybe that metaphorical fence is going to be put up next year because Florence — an elite CB — chose to leave his home in San Diego and come up to Oregon instead of staying close by in LA.

Ironically, the biggest off-the-field rivalry in the Pac-12 doesn’t meet on the field in the 2022 regular season. Unless the Ducks and Trojans face off in Las Vegas for the conference title, we won’t get to see how Lanning’s coaching ability as the head coach matches up with Riley.

But this is just the beginning of what promises to be a decade-long battle between the two west coast heavyweights.

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