Trojans Wire explains how Lincoln Riley is a puzzle-master in recruiting

Lincoln Riley thinks about football in a way which is different from most. To this point in his career, that different approach has worked out really well for himself. USC hopes to benefit from that fresh thinking.

One of several ways in which Riley displays fresh thinking is in recruiting. He is certainly not the only man to think this way, but he clearly has shown an ability to win with both power football and finesse football, with a white glove and an iron fist. This elasticity in his offenses comes from getting specific kinds of players who fit together within his offensive system, but who also fit together in terms of forming compatible 11-man units.

The style of play in a Lincoln Riley offense isn’t exactly the same from one year to the next. Riley is conscious and intentional about making sure that one year’s offense has particularly compatible fits. The next year’s fits might point to a different style of play, or at least a different point of emphasis. The compatibility matters most. This is what we gained from The Riley Files, and we shared this central insight with Mark Rogers at The Voice of College Football.

Our USC show with Mark is every Tuesday at 1:05 p.m. in Los Angeles.

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The Lincoln Log: Inside Lincoln Riley's first year at USC

Story originally appeared on Trojans Wire