Matt Entz is heading into the Los Angeles Coliseum on Friday with Fresno State, but the bigger story may be the roster plan he’s trying to build behind the scenes.
USA TODAY Sports reported that Entz has a clear approach for drawing elite talent to Fresno State despite the obstacles that come with a program from a smaller conference. The former Football Championship Subdivision national title-winning assistant and head coach at North Dakota State is leaning hard into new NCAA rules and the idea of long-term roster development.
After adding a school-record 15 freshmen as January enrollees, Entz is looking at the changing timeline for college players to make an impact. He wants his staff to embrace what the NCAA calls the “age-based eligibility model” and what is widely known as “five-for-five.”
“With this five-year rule, what we've started to do with this five-year eligibility piece is say, 'Hey, three years at Fresno State can set you up for the next opportunity,'” Entz told USA TODAY Sports. “And then you still have two years to go to Alabama or Texas.
But going to the Big 12 isn't a big enough jump. You have to go to the Big Ten, SEC or NFL.”
Entz’s résumé is already part of the pitch. As the source noted, USC fans know him as a national championship head coach who won at a high level - very high level - at the FCS level. Now he’s bringing that vision to a matchup with Lincoln Riley and his former Trojan team, and Fresno State will have that ambition on display when the Bulldogs take the field Friday.
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USC Is About To Get An Early Test Up Front
USC is getting a useful measuring stick early, and it comes in the form of a Fresno State defense that was the best unit in the Mountain West a year ago. The Bulldogs held opponents to just 286 yards and 19 points per game, and the strength starts up front under defensive coordinator Nick Benedetto, who brought his system over from Northern Illinois and has plenty of experience to lean on in the trenches.
The matchup should tell plenty about where the Trojans are on the line of scrimmage, especially against a front that has made life hard on the run game. Fresno State went 9-0 last season when it kept opponents under 140 rushing yards, and linebacker Tytus Khajavi is expected to be one of the key players helping set the tone. Against a USC offense that wants to establish itself early, that kind of resistance can reveal a lot quickly. [Read more 🡒]
USC Fans May Not Love This Name In The Next Coaching Cycle
The next college football coaching cycle is already taking shape, and USC will be watching closely as a familiar set of names begins to surface. Kliff Kingsbury, Mike Norvell and Kalani Sitake are all being discussed as possible candidates for upcoming openings, a reminder that the sports carousel never really stops spinning once the season gets going.
For Trojans fans, the part worth tracking is not just who lands where, but which coaches remain in the conversation if jobs at the top of the market open up. Kingsbury, Norvell and Sitake each bring a different profile and a different recent track record, which is why speculation around them is starting to build now, well before any actual vacancy is filled. [Read more 🡒]
USC Already Has One Clear Strength And One Growing Concern
USCs season opener against San Jose State offered an early look at what this roster might already do well, and which parts still need work. Jayden Maiava handled his first game of the year with plenty of positives, while defensive tackle Jide Abasiri also stood out in a performance that gave the Trojans something to build on. There were encouraging contributions, too, from wide receiver Trent Mosley and running back King Miller, suggesting the offense has multiple pieces ready to matter right away.
The concern showed up on the other side of the ball, where the secondary and some individual defenders had a rougher time keeping things clean. Kam Crawford was among the players who struggled, and that mattered because USCs defense is still trying to sort out its identity as the schedule moves forward. One game does not settle the bigger picture, but it did give the Trojans a pretty clear snapshot of where the strength is and where the questions are likely to linger. [Read more 🡒]