"Something special is brewing": USC fans hyped up with Lincoln Riley's fiery pep talk as Trojans beef up freshmen class

The USC Trojans are gearing up for their fourth campaign under coach Lincoln Riley. Last season, they finished with a 7-6 campaign and a Las Vegas Bowl victory over Texas A&M. However, fans expect Riley and his team to emerge as a competitor in the 12-team playoffs.

On Friday, the Trojans' official IG page shared a video while tagging Lincoln Riley. It was an edit of the players sweating it up during their offseason practice. In the background, we hear the head coach talking about the path to 'greatness' and what the players need to do in order to achieve 'greatness'.

Fans took to the comments to share their reactions to the team's offseason preparations.

"Something special is brewing....lead us COACH!!" one fan commented.

"It's going to be a great season," another fan said.

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"We are Trojans we set the standard!! Let's go Trojans," this fan wrote.

"Starting to feel good again about my Trojans. It's been awhile," another fan said.

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"I have a good feeling about this season," one fan commented.

"Look at Lincoln man so inspirational," this fan said.

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The USC Trojans have several top talents joining the program as part of the recruiting class of 2025. This includes five-star DT Jahkheem Stewart. Apart from him, they also received the commitment of several four-star players like QB Husan Longstreet, OLB Mataia Tagoa'i, offensive tackles Aaron Dunn and Alex Payne, safety Kendarius Reddick and cornerback Trestin Castro.

The Trojans hold the No.1 recruiting class of 2026. This class includes two five-star, 13 four-star, and 11 three-star prospects. During an interview with the Big Ten Network on Tuesday, Lincoln Riley expressed his excitement about working with these talented players.

"It's been fun to see the class come together," Riley said. "A lot of guys that, obviously, there's an individual part to these decisions, but there's also, you feel the class, they really want to do it together and they want to do it here. It's been very special to see it come together."

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Lincoln Riley shares change in team's approach when it comes to recruiting

Lincoln Riley revealed how the Trojans have changed their strategy and game plan to entice top prospects to join the program. He talked about how the focus is on helping these young, talented players develop and succeed both in academics and football.

Lincoln Riley also highlighted how their hard work last season, despite failing to qualify for the playoffs, gave these players a glimmer of hope and a sense of opportunity to make it big with the Trojans.

"It's not a pitch. They see what's happening. They see the staff we've put together. They see the facility we're building across the street right now.....They see a chance to get a degree that will change their life no matter what happens on the field."

"I think the people that really watched our team play last year...the improvements that were made. I think they see the opportunity to do it at a place that is really unlike any other."

The USC Trojans begin their 2025 campaign with a season opener against Missouri State. The game is scheduled to take place on August 30 at the LA Memorial Coliseum, the home field of the Trojans.