USC's Lincoln Riley details recruiting coups, reunion with Caleb Williams

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Lincoln Riley says he didn't — and couldn't — talk to Caleb Williams between the day the coach left Oklahoma and the day his once-and-future star quarterback entered the transfer portal five weeks later.

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Southern California's new coach had to wait patiently and stressfully for the chance to land the centerpiece of his first recruiting class with the Trojans, along with two more ex-Sooners who decided to follow Riley from Norman to the West Coast.

"There's a long period of time where there's zero communication," Riley said Wednesday while announcing his February signing period class. "And then all of a sudden, Caleb and his parents make the decision to jump into the transfer portal. We had a conversation shortly after that, and I don't think we talked even one bit of football. It was just kind of like a long-lost friend. It was good to be able to reconnect."

Riley closed the deal with Williams for the second time, and the former five-star recruit enrolled at USC last Friday. The quarterback's commitment capped a bountiful haul for the Trojans in the transfer portal: Riley signed 13 players away from other schools, from Oregon to Virginia, restocking his first roster with elite talent.

Riley said he doesn't plan to rely on transfers this heavily in the future. His evaluation of the Trojans' 2021 roster led him to identify spots needing quick improvement, and his coaching staff worked aggressively to find veteran collegiate players who wanted to join them.

"This is a unique year and a unique situation," Riley said. "When you’re trying to really revamp a roster and fill the amount of spots that