USC Football

HEIGHT: 5'10"

WEIGHT: 215

HAND: 9⅛"

ARM: 29½"

WINGSPAN: 71⅞"

---

POSITIVES

— A patient runner who understands the value of his OL and follows their blocks to daylight.

— Short area burst and acceleration to explode through the first-level of the defense.

— Great receiving profile out of the backfield; has over 250 receptions in collegiate career.

— Strings together cuts effortlessly and can put defenders on skates in the open field.

---

NEGATIVES

— Older prospect at the RB position; 25 years old at the end of a rookie season.

— Contact balance; lower body functional strength to drive the pile.

— Play strength and technique limit effectiveness and reliability in pass protection.

---

NOTES

— Born Dec 29, 2000

— 4-Star recruit in 2020 class, per 247Sports

— 2024: Second-Team All-Big Ten

— 2023: Doak Walker Award Watch List

---

OVERALL

Woody Marks is a savvy and dynamic playmaker with the ball.

Marks is a patient runner who follows his blockers and remains disciplined in following the designed run path. He will hesitate and/or skip steps to buy time for his offensive line to engage and create running lanes. He is adept at patiently navigating congested areas with hyperactive footwork and vision. Marks is a dynamic mover with a good short-area burst that allows him to explode through open lanes. Once into the second level of the defense, he quickly reaches top speed to gash the defense for explosive gains.

He is a twitchy and fluid mover who can chain together evasive cuts in space. Marks is elusive and sudden, and he can make sharp changes of direction as he cuts downhill.

Marks is a weapon in the passing game. He runs multiple routes and has soft hands. He is experienced in catching the football out of the backfield—he has 257 receptions over his career. He is a dynamic dual-threat playmaker and creates mismatches against linebackers in coverage.

Marks is not an ideal three-down running back. While he brings good value to the passing game in space, he is not a good pass protector in the pocket. It is not a lack of effort but play strength and technique. He doesn't use his hands to latch onto the defender upon contact. Marks will duck his head to initiate contact with a free-running defender. He is better utilized as a chip and release than an anchor against pressure.

Marks lacks contact balance and play strength. He runs hard and behind his pads but does not have the strength to power through head-on defenders.

In conclusion, Woody Marks is an RB2 who will change the pace and be a valuable passing asset. With his shiftiness and cutting ability, Marks will bring playmaking in space to an NFL offense. Expect Marks to make dynamic plays with the football.

---

GRADE: 6.7 (Potential Role Player—Fourth Round)

OVERALL RANK: 110

POSITION RANK: RB14

PRO COMPARISON: D'Andre Swift

---

Written by B/R NFL Scout Dame Parson

Reggie Bush is the newest retired NFL player to express an interest in entering the coaching ranks and expressed a desire to work at his alma mater one day.

"I would love to come back and be the head coach of USC at some point and help lead USC to a national championship," he said to the Sporting Tribune's Arash Markazi. "Lately, man, I've just been really having this urge inside of me to get out and coach because it's in me. And it's been something I've been thinking about a lot and actually talking to people about."

In terms of his coaching ambitions, Bush said he reached out directly to Sacramento State before they hired Brennan Marion.

The 2005 Heisman Trophy winner pointed to Kirby Smart, a Georgia alum, leading the Bulldogs to titles in 2021 and 2022 as his dream scenario at USC.

Of course, it's worth noting how Smart worked his way up the ladder. His full-time coaching career began in 2000 and it wasn't until 2016 that he got his first opportunity to become a head coach. He was also Alabama's defensive coordinator under Nick Saban from 2008-15 prior to leaving for Georgia.

But the success of Deion Sanders at Jackson State and Colorado has emboldened former players to believe they can make a relatively seamless transition to coaching. Schools are increasingly willing to provide that opportunity, too.

Norfolk State just hired Michael Vick, while Delaware State tabbed DeSean Jackson as its next head coach. Eddie George wrapped up his fourth season at Tennessee State. Terrell Buckley's coaching career goes back even further to 2007, and he's finally getting his first college head-coaching gig at Mississippi Valley State.

There's no question Bush's legendary playing career at USC would help him get his foot in the door at a lot of big schools, Southern Cal probably included, though he does have an active lawsuit against the school and others over retrospective NIL money.

The 39-year-old will have to pay his dues, though, in order to reach the kind of level he's aspiring toward.

Sam Huard's fourth school will be USC.

On Monday, Connor Morrissette of 247Sports reported the quarterback elected to transfer to the Trojans for the 2025 college football season. Huard started his collegiate career at Washington before going to Cal Poly and Utah prior to his decision to head to the Big Ten.

Since he missed the 2024 campaign with the Utes after undergoing surgery for an undisclosed injury, he still has two years of eligibility remaining.

USC was a natural choice, as he is the nephew of Trojans quarterbacks coach Luke Huard and will have the opportunity to work with head coach Lincoln Riley, who is known for his work with signal-callers.

However, don't expect Huard to play much.

Morrissette projected him to take over the third-string role for the Trojans after Jake Jensen transferred to Montana. Jayden Maiava is the projected starter, while highly regarded freshman Husan Longstreet is the projected backup.

Longstreet is a 4-star prospect and the No. 4 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

It wasn't that long ago Huard was seen as a can't-miss recruit. According to 247Sports' composite rankings, he was a 5-star prospect and the No. 3 quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class, which put him behind only Caleb Williams and Quinn Ewers.

Williams played under Riley at Oklahoma and USC and is now the quarterback of the Chicago Bears after he was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, while Ewers has the Texas Longhorns two wins away from the College Football Playoff national championship.

As for Huard, he appeared in five total games for Washington during his first two seasons and attempted just 44 combined passes. He then went to Cal Poly for the 2023 campaign, where he threw for 2,205 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a 3-8 team.

While he hasn't lived up to expectations at the collegiate level, he will now have a chance to further develop by working with Riley and his uncle for a marquee program looking to bounce back from a 7-6 season.

Incoming USC linebacker Matai Tagoa'i announced Thursday that he will accept part of his NIL package in bitcoin.

"This is a game-changer for me," he said in a statement (h/t Pete Nakos of On3). "By taking part of my NIL earnings in Bitcoin, I'm setting myself up for long-term financial growth. I'm grateful to Strike, House of Victory and 3Point0 Labs for helping me take this step. I'm proud to be part of this innovative collaboration that's redefining the future of college athletics and finance and hope to set an example for other young athletes to think about their financial future."

Tagoa'i is considered the No. 87 overall prospect in the Class of 2025, per 247Sports' Composite Rankings, the No. 13 linebacker and the No. 14 player from the state of California.

Greg Biggins of the recruiting site described him as a "long, athletic defender who plays inside and outside 'backer" but could develop into "an edge rusher in college," adding that "when you look at his ability to play in space, rush the passer or even drop in coverage, he's an easy player to project as a national recruit with the talent to play for just about anyone in the country."

As for bitcoin, he is hardly the first athlete to accept payment in that form.

NFL offensive lineman Russell Okung was one of the pioneers of cryptocurrency in sports, converting half of his $13 million salary back in 2020 in bitcoin. Assuming he received around 240 bitcoins at the time—and assuming he held onto those bitcoins—that investment is now worth about $23.3 million.

Paid in Bitcoin. https://t.co/Ey6oOcmLjA

— OKUNG (@RussellOkung) December 29, 2020

More recently, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler were paid $5 million worth in bitcoin for winning The Crypto.com Showdown over Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka

"I don't know a whole lot about crypto, but this is good enough motivation to do some research," Scheffler said on TNT after winning the event.

"You know I don't know a whole lot about Crypto but this is some good motivation to do some research" 🤣

-Scottie Scheffler after he and Rory McIlroy beat Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau to win $10M in Crypto at the https://t.co/soilk9AQvX Showdown pic.twitter.com/ILdKqmnqp5

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 18, 2024

The WNBA also issued $5,000 worth of cryptocurrency to every participating player in the WNBA's Commissioner's Cup, while a number of athletes have converted part of their salaries into crypto, including Aaron Rodgers and Klay Thompson.

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 302

HAND: 9¼"

ARM: 30⅛"

WINGSPAN: 77"

40-YARD DASH: NA

3-CONE: NA

SHUTTLE: NA

VERTICAL: NA

BROAD: NA

---

POSITIVES

— Good movement skills, burst and quickness

— Plays with good pad level and leverage to get inside and underneath targets at the point of attack

— Solid grip strength and active, quick feet help him stay in the fight and die slowly against shed attempts

— An asset on climbs, screens and pulls with precise angles to close ground and intersect smaller targets

— Loose, fluid mover in pass protection allows him to matchup and mirror against speed moves and sub-package rushers

— Good lower half mobility and mechanics to timely transition into his anchor

— Proven versatility at several positions

---

NEGATIVES

— Sawed off frame saps his ability to maintain full control through stack-shed attempts

— Below average square power leave him scrambling to keep nose tackle body types latched and secured

— Rarely see physical dominance, finishes to the ground or body blows being delivered on film

---

NOTES

— Born June 7, 2002

— 3-star recruit from the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— 46 career starts at right tackle (18), left tackle (12), center (12) and right guard (four)

— Two-time team captain

— Accepted his invite to the 2025 Senior Bowl

---

OVERALL

Jordan Monheim has been a four-year starter at multiple positions at USC, most recently in 2024, when he started 12 games at center inside the Trojans' 60-40 pass-run split, multiple-run scheme. Monheim has a lean, athletic build with marginal arm length, good athletic ability, and adequate play strength.

Monheim is a loose, fluid run blocker with good quickness out of his stance, pad level and tight hand placement. This allows him to hook the shade on zone, get inside/underneath his target on double-teams and close space quickly on back blocks. Monheim's burst allows him to establish first meaningful contact more often than not despite a sawed off frame and once latched has solid grip strength, active feet and a firm understanding of the play's intent to secure rush lanes just long enough before getting stacked and/or pried open. He is an asset on screens, pulls and climbs where his angles and quicks allow him to close space and regularly intersect smaller targets. When Monheim does get stacked it is a chore for him to close space and regain full control, leaving him scrambling, edged and/or into compromising positions as the rep progresses, especially against hulking nose tackles. He strains hard to finish and stay attached to blocks but rarely finishes defenders to the ground or delivers body blows.

In pass protection Monheim's movement skills allow him to shift his weight laterally and mirror speed moves and sub-package rushers with the processing skills to pass and pick up basic line games and stunts. He has a solid anchor due to his leverage skills and mobility but a lack of mass and girth leave him susceptible to power clubs and push-pull techniques from bigger rushers.

Overall, Monheim offers good athletic ability, use of leverage, experience and proven versatility to be an asset on the move in the run game and matched up against speed/sub-package rushers in pass protection while bringing enough play strength to compete for a backup role on the interior as a rookie with most of his upside coming at center. His sawed-off, lean build and middling power will make it a chore to maintain his base and balance when isolated against NFL defensive tackles, but he should carve out a role due to his movement skills and experience.

---

GRADE: 6.4 (Developmental Prospect - Round 5)

OVERALL RANK: 182

POSITION RANK: IOL18

PRO COMPARISON: Robert Hainsey

---

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

---

Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.

USC is reportedly set to lose a pair of talented young players who are a package deal.

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, brothers Zachariah and Zion Branch are entering the NCAA transfer portal and are expected to go to their next destination together.

As Thamel noted, Zachariah Branch was a freshman All-American wide receiver in 2023 when he posted 31 catches for 320 yards and two touchdowns plus a rushing touchdown. He was also one of the top return men in the nation with 16 punt returns for 332 yards and a touchdown as well as 24 kickoff returns for 442 yards and another score.

He showed marginal improvement this season with 47 catches for 507 yards and a touchdown, though he didn't maintain his role as a returner. He was a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 wide receiver in the class of 2023 in 247Sports' composite, so he should be one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal this offseason.

This latest departure is another hit to the wide receiver room for the Trojans, as junior Kyron Hudson and sophomore Duce Robinson also entered the transfer portal. No receiver on USC reached the 700-yard mark this season as the team finished with a 6-6 record.

A safety, Zion Branch was a 4-star prospect and the No. 6 player at his position in the class of 2023. He recorded a combined 41 total tackles, three passes defended, a sack and a forced fumble in his two years with the Trojans.

Miller Moss, a former USC quarterback, is reportedly transferring to Louisville after four seasons with the Trojans, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The junior was one of the most "coveted players in the NCAA transfer portal," per Thamel, throwing for 2,555 yards and 18 touchdowns this season with a 64.5 percent completion rate.

Moss is the No. 10 overall player and No. 3 quarterback in the ESPN Portal Rankings. He led the Trojans to a 6-6 record and a ninth-place finish in the Big Ten, securing a Bowl game appearance at the Las Vegas Bowl against Texas A&M on Dec. 27.

In a social media post addressed to "Trojan Nation," Moss expressed his gratitude for the past four years in sunny Los Angeles.

"Being a USC Trojan was a lifelong dream of mine. Putting on the cardinal and gold and completing on behalf of my teammates and school is something I will forever take pride in," he wrote.

Onward. pic.twitter.com/dsRue81Qyz

— Miller Moss (@millermoss7) December 2, 2024

Moss took over the starting job at USC this season, surpassing UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava in the fall. He had previously been on the bench, backing up former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams in 2022 and 2023.

He earned his first start in the 2023 Holiday Bowl against Louisville, where he threw for 372 yards and a bowl-record six touchdowns.

The Los Angeles native chose Louisville over Missouri after visiting both universities this past week, according to Sports Illustrated's Matthew McGavic. Moss is the sixth transfer to join Louisville during this cycle, joining the 8-4 program.

He is joining four other scholarship quarterbacks including Pierce Clarkson, Deuce Adams, Mason Mims and Harrison Bailey.

Moss ended his statement with an affirmation to become the best quarterback he can be in his new destination.

"Looking towards the future, I'm unwaveringly committed to becoming an even better quarterback and leader, and to achieving this at the next level," Moss wrote. "In order to realize these goals, I am entering the transfer portal as a graduate student."

Amid rumors about his potential departure for another team, USC head coach Lincoln Riley shut down the possibility of him leaving the Trojans.

"I tell them I'm a USC Trojan," Riley said when asked about the potential of other schools being interested in him, per ESPN's Paolo Uggetti. "I'm at the place I want to be."

Uggetti confirmed that UCF, which is searching for its next head coach following Gus Malzahn's departure to be Florida State's offensive coordinator, did reach out to Riley. He called the possibility of taking another job "a nonstarter, a nonissue" and said, "I'm home."

Riley, who took over as USC's head coach ahead of the 2022 season, coached quarterback Caleb Williams to a Heisman Trophy and went 11-3 in his first year at the helm, falling just short of reaching the College Football Playoff.

Since that outstanding first season, things haven't gone as well. The Trojans went 8-5 a year ago and went 6-6 in their first year in the Big Ten this season.

UCF would give Riley a job that would likely have significantly lower expectations and he could coach in a conference slightly weaker than the Big Ten, but it seems he wants to see things through with the Trojans and get them back to a championship-level team.

Though its record might not indicate it, USC improved in some areas in 2024. The Trojans were better on defense under new defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn and played close games against Michigan, LSU, Penn State and others. Besides their defeat to Notre Dame, all of the Trojans' losses were by less than one score.

USC's starting quarterback Miller Moss will enter the transfer portal, potentially setting the Trojans back, but they have the No. 13 recruiting class for 2025, highlighted by 5-star quarterback Husan Longstreet.