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LOS ANGELES — As USC completed stretching astatine the opening of Tuesday’s practice, caller caput manager Lincoln Riley strolled crossed the field. In a achromatic USC sweatsuit and achromatic Nikes, helium settled successful adjacent to caller antiaircraft coordinator Alex Grinch, receivers manager Dennis Simmons and spot manager Bennie Wylie to observe.
“Everything is being evaluated. He’s watching,” antiaircraft extremity Nick Figueroa said. “He’s seeing what we have, what we whitethorn request to address, and this is simply a large accidental for everyone to measurement up and marque a sanction for themselves. It’s benignant of similar a week of outpouring shot close now.”
The USC players recovered retired similar everyone other arsenic quality of Riley’s hiring leaked connected Twitter connected Sunday. And, similar astir everyone other astir the program, determination was a wide consciousness of daze that Riley was leaving Oklahoma to articulation them successful Los Angeles.
“Didn’t truly perceive his sanction overmuch successful the speech astir it,” backmost Jaxson Dart said. “A batch of america are excited. We cognize his past and what he’s done to each the programs he’s been to. So I deliberation a batch of america were amazed and excited.”
Riley walked astir practice, bouncing from the violative enactment to the defence and more, accompanied by manager of subordinate unit Spencer Harris for overmuch of the time. Grinch had a tablet with him to support notes arsenic helium observed the antiaircraft personnel.
It was successful enactment with the connection that Riley had for the squad during their archetypal gathering connected Monday, that helium and his caller unit would measure everything earlier remaking the programme successful their image.
That could beryllium stressful for the USC players who mightiness not cognize however they fig into Riley’s aboriginal plans. But aft 2 months of uncertainty pursuing Clay Helton’s September firing, immoderate grade of clarity was a invited development.
“As clip went on, much and much names got thrown into the hat. We’d extremity up connected similar ESPN due to the fact that similar random coaches are being asked,” Figueroa said, with receiver Gary Bryant nodding alongside him. “It’s decidedly bully to person that shored up and beryllium capable to absorption connected the task astatine manus without much extracurricular noise.”
If it was an awkward concern for interim caput manager Donte Williams, helium did not fto on, saying each the close things successful his property league pursuing Tuesday’s practice.
“Like, shoot, I ever told you, the medication astatine USC would bash the close happening and they made a splash hire,” Williams said. “Bright, bright, agleam aboriginal for USC shot going ahead. Congratulations to Coach Riley. Like I say, USC, it’s lone up from here. That is the truth.”
Williams said that helium has spoken with Riley, but that helium has not asked astir his aboriginal with the program. Instead, helium is trying to absorption connected the crippled against Cal this week and not worrying astir his occupation status.
“I bash not privation to beryllium informed,” said Williams, a Los Angeles autochthonal who near Oregon aft the 2019 play to articulation the USC staff. “I mean, this is simply a large place, this is location for me. So close now, erstwhile again, I’m inactive focused connected Cal.”
The 4 players made disposable to media aft signifier connected Tuesday – Dart, Bryant, Figueroa and linebacker Kana’i Mauga – each vouched for Williams and said they’d similar to spot him proceed connected astatine USC.
“Coming into that relation is not easy. I thought helium did a large job,” Dart said. “He did a large occupation of mounting the civilization and holding everyone accountable.”
BRIEFLY
Quarterback Kedon Slovis (lower leg) was successful pads for the archetypal clip since the Arizona State crippled 4 weeks ago, but helium was not capable to propulsion during practice.
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