Lincoln Riley calls out critics of Transfer Portal culture since Caleb Williams: 'Nobody gives a s**t'

Almost four-and-a-half years ago, the sport of college football changed forever. That was headlined by Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams following his head coach, Lincoln Riley, to USC through the Transfer Portal.

Williams was one of the first major names to enter the Portal, which was in its second year of operation (in its new form). The 2022 cycle was the first to feature truly elite players, which included Williams, Pittsburgh wide receiver Jordan Addison, Georgia Tech running back Jahmyr Gibbs, Ohio State quarterback Quinn Ewers, and USC quarterback Jaxson Dart, to name a few.

In two seasons at USC, Williams etched his mark as one of the greatest collegiate quarterbacks in recent history. Across 26 games, Williams passed for 8,170 yards and 72 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 and was selected by the Chicago Bears with the No. 1 overall pick in 2024.

In an interview with CBS Sports, Riley opened up on Williams’ landmark decision to follow him to USC. While entire rosters transfer now when a coach departs for a different school (like James Madison players following Curt Cignetti to Indiana and Iowa State players following Matt Campbell to Penn State), that was relatively unheard of at the time.

“When Caleb [Williams] made the choice to come to SC, we got destroyed over that. Now, 30 guys from Iowa State go to Penn State, nobody gives a shit. However many guys from James Madison to Indiana, nobody cares,” Riley said. “It’s interesting how much of that has changed.”

Players following coaches to new programs has become much more common since Williams’ transfer

In the 2022 cycle, just two of the top-20 players (ranked by On3) followed head coaches to a different program (Williams and Cyrus O’Torrence). This past transfer cycle, five of the top-20 players (ranked by On3) followed head coaches to a different program (Princewill Umanmielen, Drew Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins, John Henry Daley, and Byrum Brown).

In this day and age, it’s common practice for programs to follow their coaches. Twenty-three former Iowa State players followed Matt Campbell to Penn State, and 13 former USF players followed Alex Golesh to Auburn this offseason. USC was heavily chastised for bringing Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley over from Oklahoma as a package deal, and it is certainly interesting to see how much the sport has changed and evolved in such a short time.

Riley, heading into his sixth season, is looking to lead the Trojans to the College Football Playoff for the first time. Williams, heading into his third NFL season, is looking to expand on a successful sophomore season, in which he led the Bears to their first Playoff win since 2010.