Chad Bowden Is Quietly Reshaping USC’s Trajectory

Bowden immediately got to work. The Trojans Junior Day event in early February was the first time recruits were able to be around Bowden when he was at USC. The day proved to be turning point in the program. 

“It felt like when he arrived the lightbulb came on at USC,” said On3’s JD Pickell. “He talks about USC football and what they want to accomplish and the place that is in a personality and a tone that aligns with what USC fans deserve.”

The Trojans general manager continued to be aggressive in recruiting with a reshaped front office. Local prospects began to flock to campus as USC restored ties in their backyard. They made waves out of state, keeping Lincoln Riley’s vision of recruiting nationally and the commitments started to pour in. 

Bowden has been very clear about his goals of regaining control of Southern California in recruiting and bringing USC back to national prominence. A strong front office is imperative to success and Bowden has a staff that can compete with the rest of the country. 

“It felt good hearing him talk about USC the way that he did because it was like thank goodness you know what this place is supposed to be and you’re taking recruiting seriously, ”Pickell said. “It felt like USC was participating and they would attend what recruiting was supposed to be and it mattered enough because we have to do this, but when he [Bowden] showed up it became, we’re going to win at this. 

“Purely the personality and intensity of it all I think is the biggest differencing factor. He’s a temperature changer for that place. Recruiting has always been the lifeblood but all that it requires now with the portal, high school and NIL, I think he’s been maniacal about it and it’s exactly what USC needed from a personality perspective.”

Bowden overseeing roster management and handling NIL collectives, allows Riley to focus more on his on-field duties, rather than the roster logistics. It’s a strategic partnership that will define the future of the program. 

Modernizing Player Retention at USC

In this the new era of college football, it’s not enough to recruit high school prospects or the transfer portal, it means retaining your current roster. How sustainable the current landscape of college football is with NIL, and the transfer portal is a different discussion. 

It’s the only way to build momentum as a program. And in previous years, the Trojans struggled in that department. But as recruiting changed at USC this past cycle, so did its roster retention this offseason and ability to land players in the transfer portal. 

Southern Cal wasn’t particularly active in the portal but they targeted specific players such as former Iowa State cornerback Jontez Williams, former NC State receiver Terrell Anderson and former Michigan State defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren, all of whom have proven production at the Power 4 level. 

The Trojans will return all five starters on the offensive line, it’s two leading rushers in Waymond Jordan and King Miller, star freshman receiver Tanook Hines and quarterback Jayden Maiava. 

Chad Bowden Supplies Gary Patterson with Rich Talent on Defense 

Gary Patterson replaces D’Anton Lynn as the Trojans defensive coordinator. Patterson built a program with sustained success at TCU, largely due to his ability to evaluate and develop talent. 

Now, the 65-year-old coach has an abundance of blue-chip recruits at each level of his defense. It’s one thing to recruit them but the player development has to take over, especially for returning starters such as defensive ends Kameryn Crawford and Braylan Shelby, defensive tackle Jide Abasiri, linebacker Desman Stephens, cornerback Marcelles Williams and safety Christian Pierce. Guys that need to take the next step. 

Same applies to key returning contributors such as defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart, linebacker Jadyn Walker, defensive back Alex Graham and safety Kennedy Urlacher. 

USC has also welcomed its No. 1 ranked recruiting class. Bowden is stockpiling talent and is putting the Trojans in position to compete in the Big Ten.