Riley knows the importance of having been there and done that – a trait embodied by the Illini as much as any team in college football
As a former college quarterback and now a developer of difference-makers at the position, USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley knows the importance of talent – but also how little it can matter when it has yet to be combined with practical know-how and been-there-done-that.
Nurturing a player such as Jayden Maiava, a former freshman starter at UNLV who is now in his first full season as USC's starting quarterback, Riley is again witnessing firsthand the growth of an athlete combining ability with opportunity, preparation and repetition. But he also knows the power of amplifying that principle across an entire unit and using it against a quarterback still sharpening his database and processing speed. It's likely the reason Riley, who came into the season on the hot seat after leading the Trojans to a 7-6 finish in 2024, is still wary of Illinois – USC's Week 5 opponent – even after the Illini's embarrassing loss to Indiana last Saturday. Sep 20, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer warms up prior to the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images / Robert Goddin-Imagn ImagesNo. 23 Illinois is indeed reeling after a 63-10 unraveling against the Hoosiers in Bloomington last week, but No. 21 USC , despite its high-flying offense, is still very much in the proof-of-concept stage. After the Trojans notched decent-but-hardly-dominant wins over Purdue and Michigan State in the past two weeks, Riley is leery of the Illini for one particular reason. "Well, it's a really good football team," Riley said Monday on "Trojans Live" radio show. "When you look back at returning production, the amount of snaps and starts and players that they have back – especially in this age of football – it's almost, honestly, shocking. That's a team that was a double-digit-win team and has played well early this year. "Listen, I'm sure they would admit, they didn't play probably quite up to their standards last week, and the game got away from them a little bit. That can happen on the road against good football teams."Perhaps it's just the usual complimentary coachspeak, but Riley's take on Bret Bielema's Illinois program sure seems to track with the product the typical Illini fan saw only a week ago:Illinois Football 2025 Projected Depth Chart. dark. DIG DEEPER. Illinois Football 2025 Projected Depth Chart "And I would say a lot of the same things defensively: a lot of experienced players, really experienced front, some really good players in the back end, linebackers that have been there forever. And Bret and those guys have always been very challenging defensively. And they really challenge in some unique ways."and much of the rest of the secondary still banged up, defensive coordinator may need to take more chances than usual with the blitz and aggressive coverages. Maiava is learning to take what defenses give him, and he and receiver Makai Lemon will pick the bones of Illinois' back-end coverage clean if allowed the chance."It's a really good football team – I mean, just plain and simple, top to bottom," he said. "And I think, again, it's their experience, to me, that really stands out. You see that in the way they play."Jason Langendorf has covered Illinois basketball, football and more for Illinois on SI since October 2024, and has covered Illini sports – among other subjects – for 30 years. A veteran of ESPN and Sporting News, he has published work in The Guardian, Vice, Chicago Sun-Times and many other outlets. He is currently also the U.S. editor at BoxingScene and a judge for the annual BWAA writing awards. He can be followed and reached on X and Bluesky @JasonLangendorf.
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