USC Trojans Are Big Transfer Portal Winners

As things currently stand, USC has eight transfer portal signees. It’s on track to be the lowest number of players the Trojans have brought in through the portal since coach Lincoln Riley arrived.

Since the Trojans signed a huge 2026 recruiting class, Riley and general manager Chad Bowden were able to navigate the portal to find players that seamlessly fit into their plans for next season. 

During previous offseasons, USC was forced to take on larger transfer classes because of roster turnover. This year, the Trojans were able to retain a large amount of key contributors from this past season on top of their large recruiting class. 

Since the Trojans didn’t need to bring in a lot of transfers, they went out for quality players that will make an impact on the field. 

Finding a need and filling it

USC didn’t have many pressing needs as a result of retaining a majority of their starters. 

In the Trojans’ cornerback room, they weren’t lacking depth after signing six of them in their 2026 class, but were missing an experienced player who could potentially start opposite Marcelles Williams. 

That’s where Iowa State transfer Jontez Williams comes in and fills the need.  He is ranked as the No. 2 cornerback in the transfer portal according to 247Sports’ rankings. 

Williams was extremely productive in 2024 for the Cyclones, where he was named second team All-Big 12. He played in the first five games of this past season, but suffered a season-ending knee injury and was subsequently sidelined for the remainder of the year. 

Along a defensive line, USC lost a valuable starter to the transfer portal in Devan Thompkins. Similar to their defensive back class, the Trojans’ incoming defensive line class is talented and deep. Instead of bringing in multiple transfers to fill the need, USC signed only one defensive lineman in Michigan State’s Alex VanSumeren. He is listed as the No. 19 defensive lineman in the transfer portal. 

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Retention

The biggest way USC shaped their offseason was by retaining players they did. By making that a priority, the Trojans were able to avoid drama in the form of unexpected transfer portal departures

All in all, USC lost 22 players to the portal. Out of those 22 departures, Thompkins was the lone starter from this past season. Being able to hold onto that many key players is arguably the biggest reason why the Trojans are a winner of this year's transfer portal cycle.