The USC Trojans just swallowed a tough pill as 2026 five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin has decommitted from the team. So, what does that mean for head coach Lincoln Riley and Co.?
What Xavier Griffin’s USC Decommitment Really Means for Lincoln Riley’s 2026 Class
Locked On College Football host Spencer McLaughlin recently analyzed the situation in Los Angeles after USC lost its key recruit.
“The way it looks to me, with a 30,000 foot view, is USC did this to themselves…Because you got all principled, esssentially, you have cost yourself.”
McLaughlin also noted how the Trojans didn’t want Griffin to take other visits during his search for a college football team. Perhaps that rubbed him the wrong way and caused the five-star athlete to want to take his talents elsewhere.
Now, it will be interesting to see where he decides to end up in 2026. Could it be with another Big Ten team, or will he want to go to a new conference?
USC Needs to Be Better
At this point, Lincoln Riley cannot afford to keep losing five-star recruits. After winning 11 games in his first season three years ago, Riley has gone just 15-11 across the last two seasons.
For what he is getting paid by the school, the results need to start showing up for the former Big 12 champion. The Trojans are a storied program, but they haven’t had anything special happen to them since the height of the Pete Carroll days.
Losing elite recruits will not help the team’s present and future. In what is perhaps the toughest division in the country, USC will have an uphill battle over the next few years as it tries to keep up with Ohio State, Penn State, and Oregon.
If Riley guides this team to less than 10 wins again this year, his seat could start getting a little warm.
KEEP READING: 4-Star EDGE Shaun Scott Commits to USC
That is the way college football and sports, as a whole, work. If you are not producing results while getting paid a lot of money, you will soon be out of a job.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
