Remember when the new Trojans GM emphasized the importance of prioritizing in-state talent during a roundtable discussion? Coach Lincoln Riley took that message to heart. With a record of 26-14, the last thing Riley wants is to flirt with another disappointing season. He knows he needs to step up and win games—nothing more, nothing less. But before he can do that, he needs to ensure he has the right players in place. So, does he have enough talent?
Riley has secured a top-tier 2025 recruiting class, featuring two standout players: five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet and five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart. As they look ahead to 2026, the Trojans have so far accumulated the No. 1 recruiting class with 27 commits, many of whom have flown under the radar. Among this impressive list, the most consistent and longest-tenured player is Madden Riordan.
Riordan has been a Trojan through and through. The homegrown gem gave his word to the USC Trojans back in November 2023, his sophomore year. And ever since, he hasn’t second-guessed his decision. It’s been more than one and a half years. The Sierra Canyon (Calif.) product’s stability in his stance in the age of the volatile NIL era has been a win for Riley, no doubt. But what’s the secret? How did he actually get Riordan hooked on the school?
When insider Marc Kulkin asked him the same, Madden went like, “Well, I feel like I’ve known where I wanted to go, and it just felt like home since the beginning. And everything there isn’t any other place that I feel more comfortable at, especially being from LA, and just being able to stay home.” Bowden was right when he spearheaded the idea of pursuing the in-state talents more vividly than investing tons of money in the outsiders. He knew the hack. It’s pretty easy to already have an impact on the talent’s mind by default, as he, in most cases, grows up watching the school.
It’s a different kind of nostalgia that swooped them in effortlessly. However, just the home ties wouldn’t have worked if Coach Riley hadn’t had his job as well. Riley’s giant instinct as an aggressive recruiter made a lasting impact on the LA product.
“The fit with Coach Riley was the biggest thing,” said Madden. “I committed under a different defensive staff. But I committed to Coach Riley, and his plan for what he wanted the next couple of classes to be California-wise has not changed or wavered,” the four-star DB seemed to be in awe of Riley’s words’ synchronicity with his action. “I mean, you could see it coming to fruition right now with the coaching staff and the personnel and everything he said. This is his plan since the beginning, and I just trusted him all the way through and see where it’s got me.”
Well, for the major coaching staff boost, Riley has extended the tenure of his $6 million asset, defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. That has possibly moved Madden even deeper than he let it out on his face. The 35-year-old played a key role in transforming the Trojans’ defense back in 2024. With a straightforward defensive scheme and a maximum focus on aggressive play, USC gave up 10.3 fewer points per game and 55 fewer yards per game under Lynn than it allowed in the 2023 season under Alex Grinch.
These are all the reasons why Madden seems to be so steadfast in his USC commitment that you might be easily mistaken in thinking he’s always been a Trojan, even before he was offered. But it’s not just that he is sitting back and admiring the school’s progress in the recruitment class and the coaching carousel. No, he is going out there, actively participating in the process, helping Riley build an even more solid roster.
Madden Riordan is helping the Trojans on and off the field
Riordan is helping his namesake and friend to land at USC, giving Riley an extra flair in his receiver class. The name we are talking about is Texas A&M commit Madden Williams. Williams committed to the Aggies in December over Ohio State, Arizona State, Oregon, Penn State, and Texas. That time, the Trojans were pretty loaded back in their pursuit.
But after extending an offer to him on March 25, Riley and his staff tried to get a quick grasp on the standout local prospect’s recruitment trail. Guess who was their savior? None other than Madden Riordan. He took a last-minute visit to the school back in April when the Trojans hosted Williams for the first time.
“Definitely one of my closest football friends played against and with each other growing up, and I’m pushing him as hard as the coaches. I came to practice just because I heard he was going,” Riordan said in an interview. The four-star receiver will be at USC again on June 6- 8. It will be interesting to see if Riordan can really get the ball rolling for the Trojans.
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