Lincoln Riley working to add another Caleb Williams replacement

Lincoln Riley is on the lookout for his next Heisman Trophy candidate with five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola set to visit USC.

The fact that he had Spencer Rattler didn’t stop Lincoln Riley from also grabbing Caleb Williams in Oklahoma. Now at USC, the fact that the quarterback guru has Malachi Nelson isn’t going to stop him from also pursuing the next big QB recruit everyone is gunning for, Dylan Raiola.

Raiola was committed to Ohio State before opening his recruitment up in December. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of teams trying to get out front for the No. 1 player in the class of 2024.

Riley is getting his shot with a visit from Raiola this weekend, per Adam Gorney of Rivals.

Lincoln Riley has eyes on Dylan Raiola as potential Caleb Williams replacement

Georgia and Nebraska have created most of the waves in Raiola’s recruitment since he decommitted from the Buckeyes. Kirby Smart’s dominance and the arrival of offensive guru Matt Rhule in Lincoln has made those two programs desirable destinations for the stud QB.

However, Riley and USC have something few programs can offer: Heisman pedigree.

Riley has produced three Heisman Trophy winners — Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Caleb Williams — while setting up NFL careers for just about every starting quarterback he has coached, including Jalen Hurts.

Simply put, Riley’s quarterbacks produce off-the-chart numbers in college and are prepared for the pros.

USC has another leg up over some of the other contenders for Raiola. Los Angeles is a whole lot closer to Arizona than Nebraska or Georgia.

The Trojans signed five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson in the class of 2023, so the heir apparent to Williams is already on campus. However, the presence of Rattler, a five-star QB in the class of 2019, didn’t deter the future Heisman winner from signing on in 2021. The draw to play for Riley could be strong enough to convince Raiola to make a similar bet on himself.

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