Despite stepping away from coaching, former Alabama legend Nick Saban, whose net worth is around $80 million, per Celebrity Net Worth, remains a formidable presence in college football discourse.Speaking on USC's recent recruiting momentum, Saban praised Lincoln Riley's momentum. That resurgence is largely credited to head coach Lincoln Riley, who took the reins at USC in 2022 and has since reshaped the program’s trajectory.Known for grooming elite quarterbacks—Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and Caleb Williams—Riley has made the Trojans a destination for top-tier signal-callers. Saban remarked.“USC is back to recruiting like USC. Watch out for a historic run in Los Angeles in the next few years,” Saban said.This offseason, Riley secured five-star Husan Longstreet, who flipped from Texas A&M, and transfer Sam Huard, a veteran from Washington and Cal Poly. Jayden Maiava, formerly of UNLV, also joined the roster after finishing last season as USC’s starter. The departures of Miller Moss and Jake Jensen via the transfer portal had left a depth gap, which Riley moved swiftly to address.Instead of hosting a traditional spring game, USC will stage its final practice with light scrimmaging on Saturday. The audience will be limited to players’ families and a select group of high-profile recruits.“We’ve got some cool things planned in the Coliseum,” Riley said. Dubbed the 'Trojan Olympics,' the event will involve the coaching staff, with Riley hinting, “There’s a lot of stretching going on in the John McKay Center right now.”The weekend will feature visits from blue-chip recruits, including linebacker Xavier Griffin, cornerback Elbert Hill, lineman Lamar Brown and tackle Kelvin Obot. Griffin, the top linebacker in the 2026 class, remains firmly committed amid heavy Southeastern Conference interest, while USC leads the chase for Hill, Ohio’s top-ranked prospect.Lincoln Riley eyes long-term growth despite USC’s rocky 2024 campaignFollowing a 7-6 finish to the 2024 season, capped by a Las Vegas Bowl victory, USC head coach Lincoln Riley acknowledges the shortcomings but remains confident about the program’s direction.“The momentum in this building right now is real,” Riley said to CBS Sports. “Ask anybody that’s been around this program for the last several months—they feel it, they see it.”Since taking over in 2022, Riley has delivered a No. 1 NFL draft pick but has yet to secure a College Football Playoff berth. He admitted the early phase required adapting on the fly:“We went really heavy in the portal as everybody knows … balancing USC and the broader college football landscape required some changes.”USC’s recruiting efforts have improved dramatically. The Trojans hold the No. 15 class nationally for 2025 and are ranked fifth in the Big Ten, per On3. For 2026, USC’s class sits at No. 2 nationally and tops the Big Ten, with 64% of commitments coming from California—signaling a major in-state recruiting rebound.“We’re now transitioning into being what we want long-term—a high school developmental program,” Riley said. “Given our location, school, history, and staff, that’s the best path forward.”Despite recent struggles, Riley insists the foundation for sustained success is firmly in place.