LOS ANGELES — A few hours after he was first introduced as USC's next head coach, Lincoln Riley was in Raleek Brown's living room. A few days after that, the five-star Santa Ana Mater Dei running back decided to follow Riley to USC.
Brown is the first commitment for Riley in USC's 2022 class and was clearly a priority for the new coach, who took the job on Sunday morning and took to convincing Brown by Sunday night. He's considered No. 2 overall running back in the nation and the No. 2 player in the state, according to 247Sports.com.
"Mama I'm Staying Home," Brown wrote on social media. "Los Angeles let's turn it up a lil."
Riley first convinced Brown that he should leave Southern California for Oklahoma. Brown committed to Oklahoma last February, choosing the Sooners over the Trojans who were then still led by coach Clay Helton.
Riley's arrival has since unleashed a tidal wave of recruiting momentum for USC. Earlier this week, 2023 Los Alamitos quarterback Malachi Nelson flipped his commitment from Oklahoma to USC to follow Riley.
More commitments are expected in the coming days, with the chance for a significant statement on early signing day in two weeks.
