USC coach Lincoln Riley is back in the national spotlight ahead of the 2026 college football season, landing on the Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List on Thursday.
The honor carries weight for reasons that go beyond the win column. Presented by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, the Dodd Trophy is built around scholarship, leadership and integrity, not just the usual trophies handed out for championships and records.
The preseason watch list also takes into account each program’s Academic Progress Rate, Graduation Success Rate, community involvement and projected success on the field. Coaches must have been at their current school for at least two seasons and have an APR above the national average to qualify.
For Riley, the selection is a meaningful step after he was left off the 2025 preseason watch list. His return signals a shift in how USC’s direction is being viewed as he heads into another key year in Los Angeles.
The Trojans still have work to do if Riley is going to become the first USC coach to win the award since it was established in 1976. No USC coach has ever taken home the Dodd Trophy, so the opportunity is there for program history.
The path to that kind of recognition runs straight through the 2026 season, and expectations around USC are high. The Trojans return more starters than any team in college football and also bring in the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. After several seasons of adjusting to the Big Ten and rebuilding the roster, Riley now has a chance to show USC has moved into a new phase.
If USC can push into the Big Ten title picture and earn a College Football Playoff berth, Riley’s case would get a major lift. But the Dodd Trophy isn’t only about what happens on Saturdays. Academic performance, leadership, integrity and community impact all matter, which keeps USC’s APR and Graduation Success Rate firmly in the mix.
Riley’s name being back on the watch list already marks progress from a year ago. If the Trojans meet the expectations surrounding them and continue to hit the standards the award values, Riley could put himself in position to make history.
The Big Ten placed seven coaches on the 20-person preseason watch list, topping the SEC’s six. Riley is joined by defending winner Curt Cignetti of Indiana, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz, Washington’s Jedd Fisch and Illinois’ Bret Bielema.
Cignetti returns after winning last year’s award following Indiana’s historic College Football Playoff run. Day enters another season as one of the sport’s most consistent contenders after leading Ohio State to another championship-caliber year.
Lanning keeps Oregon in the national conversation, while Ferentz remains one of the most respected names in the game thanks to Iowa’s steady blend of academic success and on-field consistency. Fisch earned his spot after guiding Washington’s quick turnaround, and Bielema rounds out the league’s group after another strong season at Illinois.
With one of the deepest coaching fields in the country, Riley’s challenge is clear: USC will have to outperform expectations across a demanding schedule to stay in the conversation.
In Other News...
USC Just Got The Oregon Opening Lincoln Riley Cannot Waste
Oregons secondary is still sorting itself out as Chris Hampton settles in as defensive coordinator, and that kind of uncertainty is exactly the sort of opening USC has to be ready to press. The Ducks have multiple players in the mix for key jobs back there, which means the early shape of their defense is still being defined even before the season gets rolling.
For Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, the opportunity is obvious: make Oregon answer questions in coverage while USCs offense tries to get its own front settled enough to handle the Ducks defensive line. If the Trojans can win up front, they can force Oregon to show its hand in the back end, and the way those position battles shake out could wind up steering how aggressive Hampton can be with that secondary down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Williams Headlines A Loaded All-USC NFL Dream Team
USCs NFL footprint has become so deep that building a dream team out of former Trojans is less a novelty than a reminder of how often the program has fed Sundays. The piece leans into that history by mixing the schools long draft track record with the production of its current and recent pros, then sorting through the names that have actually mattered at the next level. From the skill positions to the line, there is no shortage of candidates, which is part of what makes the exercise feel more like an argument than a gimmick.
Caleb Williams sits at the center of it, and not just because of his pedigree. The discussion around him is tied to how he has handled the jump to the NFL and how his postseason work has added another layer to his profile, while the rest of the roster debate stretches across a loaded backfield and a receiver group that reflects USCs ability to keep producing playmakers. Even the offensive line conversation has enough current and former Trojans in it to make the final choices feel crowded, which is exactly the kind of problem USC would want to have. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Gave Ronnie Lott A Rare Place In College Football History
Ronnie Lott has long been part of USCs defensive lore, and ESPNs college football writers have now put him in a rare historical lane by elevating him above every other player to wear No. 42. The former Trojan safety was a centerpiece of the 1978 national title team and helped USC win two Rose Bowls, building the kind of college rsum that still resonates whenever the programs all-time greats come up.
Lotts senior season only sharpened that legacy, as he finished by leading the country in interceptions and capped his USC career with a reputation for making game-changing plays. His college success was just the start of a career that carried into Canton-worthy territory with the San Francisco 49ers, but this latest nod is a reminder of how much of his legend was forged in cardinal and gold. [Read more 🡒]