With Caleb Williams likely to be No. 1 pick in 2024 NFL draft, USC’s identity as “QB U” is emerging
Student Body Right. USC used to be the college football program known for rearing back and slamming the ball at the opposition with a hard-nosed running game.
Mike Garrett. O.J. Simpson. Sam Cunningham. Anthony Davis. Ricky Bell. Charles White. Marcus Allen. Great running backs, those who won the Heisman Trophy and those who didn’t, made USC the elite running back school in college football for more than a decade and a half from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s.
Today, the Trojans are operating in a new world. College football is governed by the forward pass, not handoffs or toss plays. Scoring big and scoring quickly are the new mode of transportation in the sport. This is not John McKay’s or Bear Bryant’s realm anymore.
USC, under Lincoln Riley, has very quickly built a new identity. What was “Student Body Right” still uses the running game, but the Trojans are now part of a modern reality: USC is now Quarterback University.
“QB U” for short.
Caleb Williams’ Heisman Trophy affirmed that identity, as did the recruitment of Malachi Nelson and the hire of Kliff Kingsbury.
Keep in mind that Jalen Hurts recently visited Riley on the USC campus before he inked his record-setting deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
USC’s football brand is now closely tied to quarterback recruitment and development. This is not 1978 anymore … except for the part about USC being nationally and annually relevant.
Consider the names and stories which are now part of QB U, another name for USC:
JALEN HURTS
Dec 28, 2019; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) runs the ball during the second quarter of the 2019 Peach Bowl college football playoff semifinal game against the LSU Tigers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Hurts’ brilliant 2022 NFL season and his impressive Super Bowl showing have underscored how well Lincoln Riley prepared him for the NFL. Don’t think recruits and their parents are unaware of this. They get it, and it shows in the recruiting Riley is doing at the position.
BAKER MAYFIELD
Jan 1, 2018; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass against the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2018 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Baker Mayfield hasn’t had a great NFL career, but he has had his moments, especially with the Cleveland Browns. He is not a star, but he also isn’t a bust. That speaks well of Riley’s work with him.
KYLER MURRAY
Dec 29, 2018; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws a touchdown pass against Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Levi Draper (30) during the third quarter of the 2018 Orange Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Kyler Murray achieved success early in his NFL career. He is going through a bumpy period, but Riley helped him handle a lot of complicated forces and issues. Recruits respect Riley, and it’s notable that Duce Robinson — a two-sport star — chose Riley in part because of his work with Murray, who considered baseball while pursuing a football career.
CALEB WILLIAMS
Apr 15, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) throws a pass during the Spring Game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
This is the crown jewel. USC has a Heisman winner coming back for 2023. Caleb will almost certainly be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. This is the man at the heart of QB U.
MALACHI NELSON
Apr 15, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Malachi Nelson (8) hands the ball to running back A’Marion Peterson (27) during the Spring Game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
This is the heir apparent to Caleb Williams. Having Kliff Kingsbury on staff to teach Nelson, not just Caleb, might be the most important aspect of Lincoln Riley’s decision to bring Kingsbury to Heritage Hall for 2023.
LINCOLN RILEY
Dec 29, 2018; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Kyler Murray (1) react after an Oklahoma touchdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the third quarter of the 2018 Orange Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Baker. Kyler. Jalen. Caleb. Lincoln Riley has coached three Heisman winners and one Heisman runner-up before the age of 40. There’s not much else to say.
KLIFF KINGSBURY
Dec 25, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury walks the sidelines as they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at State Farm Stadium.
Kingsbury’s coaching of USC’s backups, as much as his coaching of Caleb Williams, will provide lots of lasting value to the QB U brand this year and into 2024, even if Kliff coaches elsewhere next year (as is probable).
SAM DARNOLD
Dec 29, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) rolls out to pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first quarter in the 2017 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Though not coached by Riley, this is part of USC’s QB U heritage. The Trojans had players to build on before Riley came to L.A.
MATT BARKLEY
Oct 13, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley (7) throws a pass against the Washington Huskies at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
If the NCAA hadn’t unfairly sanctioned USC over a decade ago, one wonders how great Barkley’s legacy would be.
