Tough Blow For Lincoln Riley as Top USC Commit Cites Family Reasons To Leave Him Stranded

The serene beaches of southern Cali were turning into quicksand for Lincoln Riley. His stint at the helm of the USC Trojans began with pomp. However, the win/loss column has reflected a steady decline since. Their first year post realignment from the Pac-12 to the Big 10 fanned the flames of concern around the program. Hovering around .500 wasn’t going to cut it for Coach Riley, who needed a proverbial helping hand. A bit of a messiah to lift both the vibes and the standard of personnel within his roster. This messiah did indeed arrive, albeit from an unlikely source.

When USC managed to snag GM Chad Bowden from arch-rivals Notre Dame earlier this off-season, it represented a massive change in fortunes. This wasn’t a Trojan Horse in cahoots with the enemy. Crossing over to the other side of the sacred Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy, Bowden’s reputation as a recruiting whiz precedes him. He can mobilize prospects at a very high clip, and recruiting well is the precursor to success in College Football. Notre Dame’s run to the Natty is a testament to his prowess. Bowden’s had an instantaneous impact upon his arrival in LA, too. In fact, USC boasts a top-3 ranked recruiting class for ‘26. Things have been on the up for Lincoln Riley and co. However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Some bad news has just undercut a portion of Bowden and Coach Riley’s efforts to resuscitate this storied blueblood.

The aforementioned recruiting class has just lost one of its members. On3’s Hayes Fawcett reports wide receiver Kohen Brown has decommitted from USC. The Texas native had made his verbal commitment to the school just over a month ago, on April 2nd. This quick 180 doesn’t make for good optics for the program and what Lincoln Riley’s building, for one. But public perception, macrocosm and optics aside, the Trojans have just lost a quality wideout too. One that could’ve been a potent weapon for 5-star true freshman QB Husan Longstreet down the line. The reason for this U-turn has also been revealed, courtesy of Kohen Brown himself.

https://t.co/rn3SNbooaE pic.twitter.com/dfavodlpiX

— Kohen Brown (@kohenbrown2026) May 9, 2025

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