USC transfers are looking for ways to contribute during spring football

Jaden Richardson didn't need any promises. All the former Tufts receiver wanted when he tried to make the jump from Division III was an opportunity.

Any school that promises you things is never where you really want to be, the USC receiver said Tuesday after his fourth spring practice with the Trojans.

Richardson is part of an exclusive group of transfers on offense that is expected to boost competition at Heritage Hall as the Trojans enter the next phase of development under Lincoln Riley.

The coach relied on large transfer classes during his first two years to speed USC's turnaround, but has expressed a desire to start building through high school players. With promising prospects from last year recruiting Riley's first full class of class at USC, the Trojans signed just three spring transfers on offense.

Now with Richardson, running back Woody Marks and quarterback Jayden Maiava, the Trojans will look to combine veteran transfer experience with USC's homegrown players in hopes of taking the next step in their careers.

Unlike Richardson and Mississippi States Marks, who both hold school records at their previous stops, Maiava isn't the oldest guy in a young room. The redshirt sophomore from Nevada Las Vegas is competing with redshirt junior Miller Moss for the right to replace Caleb Williams.

After throwing for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Rebels last year, Maiava entered the portal looking for an opportunity to compete with the best. He initially committed to Georgia before flipping the next day.

The Trojans, Riley said, were looking for a young player with playing experience, and the staff knew a wide-open quarterback situation made the possibility of a potential transfer even more attractive.

I like competition, Maiava said. I love going out there and not only getting the best out of myself, but getting the best out of my teammates.

With 11 starts at UNLV, Maiava already has more playing time experience than Moss, whose job before his Holiday Bowl heroics largely came down to cleaning up the fourth quarter. The transfer time on the field is already visible in the spring.

He's a well-balanced kid, Riley said. You can tell he's not like a true freshman coming in there, just wide-eyed. He has played, he has learned how to prepare, you can see that in him.

Richardson had a previous connection to Maiava, having played with his cousins' triplets Michael, Micah and Matthew at Tufts, where the 6-foot-4 receiver set a program record with 20 career touchdowns.

With a bachelor's degree in economics from the Division III school, the Bay Area native received a lot of interest from FBS programs in the transfer portal. When USC called, it was a no-brainer. Born in Southern California, he and his father were always supportive of the school.

“I think it took me a good week when I thought, Wow, this is actually real,” Richardson said. Now it's just sitting and working. Once you get over that part, it's college football at the end of the day.

USC's receiver room appears to have openings, with leading pass catchers Brenden Rice and Tahj Washington moving on to the NFL. But before Richardson arrived, there were plenty of heirs to the throne. Each of USC's second-year receivers, Zachariah Branch, Duce Robinson, JaKobi Lane and Makai Lemon, could be in for a breakout. Redshirt junior Kyron Hudson is the most experienced returning receiver with 28 game appearances.

Richardson is just trying to pick his spot.

For me, [Im] I try not to put myself on a pedestal because I'm older, Richardson said. At the end of the day, just taking a step back and learning and contributing what I can.

USC is relying on Marks, Mississippi State's leader in receiving yards for a running back, to set the pace for an inexperienced running back corps that has seen promising sophomores Quinten Joyner and AMarion Peterson have just 139 combined career rushing yards to have. Marks could be the next transfer to become a star for Riley, who has already found success with Travis Dye, MarShawn Lloyd and Austin Jones at USC.

Only USC, the running back position, is just pretty awesome, Marks said of his decision to join the Trojans. You got guys in front of you that came through, MarShawn Lloyd, Reggie Bush, guys like that, I think it's a special place to be at running back.