As they say nowadays in college football, the transfer portal giveth and the transfer portal taketh. USC football is certainly no exception to this rule. The Trojans have lost more than 20 players to the portal since the conclusion of the regular season. Now, head coach Lincoln Riley and his staff are tasked with finding their replacements.
Emmanuel Pregnon is leaving. We wrote that “After transferring in from Wyoming, Pregnon started on USC’s offensive line for the past two seasons. He was arguably the Trojans’ best O-lineman during that span, and was projected as a mid-round pick should he decide to enter the NFL draft. A fifth-year senior, the general consensus around the program was that Pregnon would move on to the pros after this year. The week prior to USC’s bowl game, however, new offensive line coach Zach Hanson announced that Pregnon would return next season. However, it now looks as though if Pregnon does indeed play college football in 2025, it will not be for USC.”
The Trojans have to compensate for that loss and other roster changes.
This weekend, USC football is hosting numerous high-profile transfer targets on campus. Here are a few of the biggest-name visitors:
Keionte Scott
After starting his career at junior college, Scott spent the past three seasons starting at cornerback for Auburn. In his career with the Tigers, he had 113 tackles, eight passes defended, an interception, and a sack.
With the Trojans needing to replace significant production in the secondary next season, getting a proven commodity in Scott would be a huge addition.
Jeffrey M’Ba
M’Ba is a defensive lineman who, like Scott, started his career at community college and Auburn before spending the past two seasons at Purdue. In those two years, he recorded 46 tackles and one sack.
And 6’6″ and 302 lbs., M’Ba would provide the Trojans with some much-needed size along the defensive line. USC is looking to fill a significant hole at the position with nearly all of its 2024 starters out of eligibility.
Jordan Bass
A highly-touted linebacker recruit in the class of 2023, Bass spent the first two years of his college career at Pitt. As a sophomore in 2024, he recorded 14 tackles, one sack, and one pass defended.
If the Trojans were to land Bass, it would further add to the intriguing transfer history between USC and Pitt. Back in 2022, star wide receiver Jordan Addison made an eye-opening decision to transfer from Pitt to USC, while USC quarterback Kedon Slovis left Los Angeles for the Steel City.
DJ Wingfield
Originally a Los Angeles native, Wingfield’s journey took him to community college and New Mexico before spending the past two seasons at Purdue. Now, USC will hope to get the offensive lineman to return home for his final year of school.
Wingfield saw significant playing time on the offensive line the past two seasons for the Boilermakers. Given USC’s pressing need at o-line and how hard they can be to come by in the portal, this would be a huge addition for the Trojans.
Sam Phillips
USC is in need of more depth at wide receiver, and Phillips would provide just that. Over three seasons at FCS Chattanooga, he caught 153 passes for 2,088 yards and nine touchdowns. Now, he will look to make jump to the FBS ranks for his final season of eligibility.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC hosting several big-name transfer targets on campus this weekend
