Another college football player is moving on to pastures warmer. It is the best wide receiver in college football. The winner of the Biletnikoff will be transferring to USC from Pittsburgh.
After a free-agency-type tour that included visits to Texas, USC and Alabama, Addison decided to go to USC and play alongside fellow D.C.-area prospect Caleb Williams, who transferred from Oklahoma. USC has a clear-cut No. 1 receiver with the addition of Addison, and he gives the team a chance to contend for the national title.
It is said that the decision was more about football and developing for the NFL than any name, image or likeness USC could have unlocked for him. What does this move mean for USC, Pittsburgh and the current state of college football? Our staff is weighing in.
Does this move make USC a contender?
Lincoln Riley said it was difficult to say what his fans should expect this year because there was still so much roster work to be done. If he had his entire roster complete, you would typically be in the mix for the national title.
Whatever we end up with, our top goal is for that roster to become as good as it possibly can be for that team to become as good as it can be. That is what we are all used to doing. This place and the history of this program fit in well with how we all wired. Championships are always the expectation regardless of the situation, even if it is Year 1 or Year 20.
Kyle Bonagura thinks that the arrival of Addison doesn't mean that the USC program is in a better position to win a national title than it was last week. They should not be among the favorites. Not yet. It was expected that the offense would explode. It is more difficult to project what to expect on the defense side. USC is still chasing Utah in its own division.
I am not sure about a national title contender, but I would not be shy about saying USC is a title contender in the conference. Riley has proven himself to be one of the best offensive coaches in the game, and he has a quarterback who is familiar with his system ready to go. With the state of the conference, it is easy to connect dots and say Riley will have USC rolling sooner rather than later. It is easier to believe now that she is on board. One NFL scout told me last year that he was a better choice than Kenny Pickett because he already had a first-round grade. He should benefit from being in the Riley system.
USC is going for it the next two seasons with Williams under center and is doing everything in its power to get as much talent around him. The wide receiver room is already bursting with talent, but questions still abound at less flashy positions. If the offensive line isn't up to par, all of the offensive talent will not be able to flourish, and it remains to be seen how much defensive improvement the USC can make since last season under a new staff and with new additions. USC's schedule appears easy at first glance, but for an entirely new team trying to gel, any game could be a challenge. I wouldn't be surprised if USC won the conference and was in the conversation.
Title contender, probably not. Yes, the Pac-12 is a contender. I still have questions about the offensive line and the defense, even though the staff has made some huge splashes on offense. The defense is losing a lot of players in the secondary and up front. I think there are still questions I need to see answered on the field before we jump that far ahead.
Where does Williams/Addison rank in the duos of a quarterback and a receiver?
It is hard to go against the quantity of C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Columbus, despite the firepower that the Williams-Addison combo could bring to the West Coast. Smith-Njigba is set to explode as Ohio State's top receiver after losing Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson to the NFL. They could reach that kind of potential, too, but they would be just behind them for now.
Most of the top receivers from last season are gone, so they rank pretty high on the list. Williams has Mario Williams on the roster and we should not forget about the chemistry they already have. I agree with Paolo about what we saw in the Rose Bowl last season. I would like to see Worthy and Ewers at Texas, but he is not a receiver, and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers had 13 receiving touchdown last season. I don't know if you can stack many other duos up with Williams and Addison, given who is returning this season.
Bonagura said that we could go around in circles about which tandem was the best and end up dissatisfied. Williams-Addison can be as good or better than any other combination in the country. Is that the first? Third? Is it fifth? USC has a potential All-American quarterback and receiver. USC has not had a first-team All-American quarterback and a first-team All-American receiver in the same season since 2005.
It's logical to assume that Georgia transfer Jermaine Burton will be in line to do the same with Alabama's Bryce Young in 2022. Alabama needs a go-to No. 1 receiver, and Young knows how to get the ball to his teammates. It's possible that the role could be taken over by Louisville transfer Tyler Harrell. If Alabama ends up with the best QB-WR duo, the Tide will end up with a lot of different players who end up becoming stars. They already have the quarterback who can do the job.
Who are you playing in the title game?
There is a world in which USC could face Utah in the Pac-12 title game and, despite what USC has done to put a competitive team on paper ahead of this season, the Utes remain a likely favorite in the conference. There is a good chance we will see an all-South championship game if Dan Lanning is successful at Eugene.
Paolo is right here. The announcement that the teams with the two best records will play in the conference title game makes USC's path a bit easier. Utah is the favorite going into the season. USC and Oregon start the conversation beyond the Utes.
Who will be the biggest impact transfer this year?
I still think it is him. His arrival at USC has completely changed the tone of the program from excitement to the possibility of imminent success. William raises USC's ceiling by himself, but he also seemingly has the power to attract a player like Addison who might not have even considered transferring to USC.
The answer is probablyCaleb Williams, but I am still looking at Ewers at Texas and what that offense has added. Out of high school, Ewers was the top prospect and he has many options to spread the ball around. If he can turn things around at Texas, that will be an accomplishment we haven't seen in quite some time.
In the non-Caleb Williams category, it is likely that he will be replaced by Dillon Gabriel. If Gabriel is able to replicate the success he had at UCF, Oklahoma should be in good shape because of how the Sooners respond from losing Riley and several key players.
I agree with Williams, but I want to highlight the quarterback that he left behind. Gabriel is trying to establish the type of consistency Oklahoma is used to at quarterback. His first two seasons, he threw for over 7,000 yards and 61 touchdown. His junior season was cut short by an injury. He had a great freshman season at the University of Central Florida, where he was coached by Jeff Lebby. If Gabriel can reproduce the numbers he did early in his career, it will be a smooth transition for new coach Venables.
Where does Pitt go?
The offensive transition at Pitt will only get worse with the loss of Addison, since quarterback Kenny Pickett is gone. Frank Cignetti Jr., Pitt's new offensive coordinator, installed his system during the spring, which allowed for a quarterback competition between Kedon Slovis and Nick Patti. Losing Addison after spring practice makes the blow worse. The team has several others, including second on the team in receiving,Jared Wayne. Konata Mumpfield, a freshman All-American receiver a year ago, had a promising spring and will be in line to start. Pitt will look to Jaylon Barden as well. The reality is that Pitt will have to find a way to move forward without the player they projected as the centerpiece of their offense.
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