LenDale White Defends Lincoln Riley, Predicts USC Playoff Look

USC has by no means made the Faculty Soccer Playoff, nevertheless it’s a streak that’ll quickly come to a screeching halt, in keeping with a Trojans nice, who tells TMZ Sports activities Lincoln Riley‘s Southern California squad is gearing as much as kick ass this season!

We just lately bumped into SC legend LenDale White at LAX … and with the workforce coming off a disappointing 7-6 season, we requested half of Thunder and Lightning for his outlook on the 2025 marketing campaign.

“I feel like my Trojans will be in the College Football Playoffs. I believe in Lincoln. I believe we got some guys around here that’s gonna get the job done. And I’m excited to see what this year brings for us!”

White clearly has little question SC has the suitable coach, however not everybody agrees … and after three so-so seasons in L.A., Riley’s reportedly on the new seat. Everybody from followers to high school brass needs a winner.

However LenDale says these expectations will not be completely truthful given the present school soccer panorama.

“When you’re a Trojan we’re supposed to win. We’re expected to win,” White stated. “I can understand what it is, but in this new day and age of the college athlete that can transfer out whenever they feel like it, as soon as it gets a little hard, they leave.”

“It isn’t like once you had the Pete Carroll‘s and even the [Nick] Saban‘s and stuff.”

After all, school soccer was a lot completely different when these legendary coaches roamed the sidelines.

Gamers could not (legally) be paid, and in the event that they needed to switch, they had been virtually at all times required to take a seat out a season. That is not the case anymore.

“When you can’t keep these players or keep the guys around all the time because they’re running away from competition, I can’t always put it on the coaches.”

White, an All-American, starred at SC between 2003 and 2005 when this system was arguably the perfect in all of faculty soccer, going 37-2, and profitable a Nationwide Championship.

That was earlier than the Faculty Soccer Playoff system was applied — and with the expanded format, 12 groups will in the end vie for the natty. LenDale believes SC will occupy one of many spots.

The Trojans kick off their season in lower than every week after they play Missouri State on Saturday.

There’s extra with LenDale … who additionally provides us a evaluation of his backfield mate Reggie Bush‘s efficiency in “Happy Gilmore 2.”