Gets me fired up during this dead period? ESPN dropping that under-the-radar players list and I immediately clicked the USC link before I even finished reading the headline. This is the kind of content I live for in May when we are stuck in voluntary workouts and waiting for the season to start. Every year they pick one guy from each top 25 program who is gonna break out and I swear our coaching staff already knows who it is before the article goes live.
I have been watching the 247 composite religiously and tracking every crystal ball that gets submitted and let me tell you something about the way we are building this roster. The portal class got ranked top 25 by ESPN and people want to talk about the big names but I am more interested in the developmental pieces that nobody is talking about. We have got guys in the weight room right now who did not see the field last year who are gonna be absolute problems for the Big Ten.
Remember when we used to rely on five star after five star and still could not put it together? Those days are over. The new staff has a clear vision and they are stacking developmental guys who fit the system instead of just chasing the composite rankings. That is how you build sustained success. Oregon can have their five 5-stars and I will take the roster with the right culture and scheme fit every single time.
Three years ago we were the team that everybody pointed to as underachieving with elite talent. Now we are the team that quietly added depth pieces through the portal and is developing homegrown talent in the weight room. The under-the-radar guy ESPN flagged is gonna be someone who has been in the system for a year already soaking up the playbook and getting stronger. That is the formula.
I am sitting here refreshing the USC team page on On3 every hour waiting for more news and I cannot help but think about how different the energy is around this program compared to where we were at this time last year. The dead period is boring but the foundation is being laid right now. When September hits and that under-the-radar guy makes his first big play you will remember reading this post. Mark it down.