LOS ANGELES — When Lincoln Riley was hired by USC in November, Trojans fans rejoiced.

Not only were they getting one of the most innovative coaching minds in the game and an organizational leader like few others in football, they also were bringing in an ace recruiter ready to turn Los Angeles into the pigskin paradise it has been so often before.

But a closer look at Riley’s recruiting bona fides leads to some questions.

Mainly this one: How will USC recruit quarterbacks under one of the true gurus of the game?

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For a while there, it seemed as if USC could have its pick of the top quarterbacks in Southern California, almost like Pete Carroll and Co. were at a bakery choosing their favorite donut.

Mark Sanchez, glazed cruller.

Matt Barkley, old fashioned.

Max Wittek and Cody Kessler, same class even, a maple bar to go with a twisted sugar.

And we’re not talking average national prospects here.

Sanchez was the top pro-style prospect in the country out of Mission Viejo High, grading out as a .9988 prospect. A half-decade later, Barkley was the No. 1 prospect nationally — he is still the 24th-rated recruit in 247Sports history — and in 2011, Wittek and Kessler were rated No. 3 and No. 4 nationally, respectively, among quarterbacks, and Nos. 1 and 2 among Californians.

Along the way, there was also Garrett Green (2006, No. 1 dual-threat QB in SoCal), Aaron Corp (2007, No. 1 dual-threat QB in SoCal) and Jesse Scroggins (2010, No. 1 pro-style QB in SoCal).

Starting in 2015, though, it became clear that USC was no longer No. 1 with a bullet in its footprint. That season, No. 1 pro-style QB Josh Rosen signed with UCLA and No. 2 Blake Barnett signed with Alabama. The Trojans had to “settle” for Ricky Town, rated No. 3 among pro-style QBs, and Sam Darnold, the No. 6 dual-threat prospect.

A year later, the wheels came off USC’s recruiting wagon.

The Trojans missed out on Malik Henry (No. 4 pro-style QB, signed with Florida State), Patrick O’Brien (No. 7 pro-style, signed with Nebraska), KJ Costello (No. 9, signed with Stanford), Max Gilliam (No. 12, signed with Cal), Ian Book (No. 18, signed with Notre Dame) and Devon Modster (No. 22, signed with UCLA). Henry and Costello were the only two to receive USC offers at the time, as the Trojans had a full quarterback room, but even so: USC wasn’t used to being turned down. Ultimately, the Trojans signed Matt Fink, the 47th-rated QB in the class.

Since then, it’s been a mixed bag.

In 2017, The Trojans landed Jack Sears, the No. 5 pro-style QB, and in 2018, JT Daniels, who ranked No. 3 behind 5-star prospects Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields. In 2019, USC signed Kedon Slovis, ranked just 39th at his position, while the Trojans missed on higher-rated SoCal QBs Jayden Daniels (Arizona State, now LSU) and Ryan Hilinski (South Carolina, now Northwestern).

The absolute nadir, though, had to come in 2020. That’s when Bryce Young (Mater Dei to Alabama), DJ Uiagalelei (St. John Bosco to Clemson) and CJ Stroud (Rancho Cucamonga to Ohio State) all left the SoCal footprint to play for national powers.

That alone should have gotten Clay Helton fired.

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In some ways, his QB success alone should’ve gotten Lincoln Riley hired, as well. His track record with quarterbacks, after all, is above reproach. Baker Mayfield, 2017, Heisman. Kyler Murray, 2018, Heisman. Jalen Hurts, 2019, Heisman finalist.

So all that leads us to this point: Where does the USC QB room stand now, and where is it going in the future? In so many ways, those questions are intertwined.

Riley’s arrival from Oklahoma — and the bonus prize of Caleb Williams following his former Sooner coach to Heritage Hall — changes the entire picture for USC. Could Williams turn into Riley’s latest transfer-turned-Heisman candidate? The national media seems to think so, as do bettors, who have Williams as No. 3 favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. In front of him? Young and Stroud, two potential would-be Trojans from the SoCal footprint.

Will Riley be able to reel in transfers like that in the future? And if so, will they still be able to snag the top high school quarterbacks, most of whom expect to start on Day 1?

As it stands, USC has Williams and Class of 2021 4-star Miller Moss rostered, and the Trojans have a commitment from Class of 2023 superstar Malachi Nelson out of nearby Los Alamitos High.

But knowing Williams has at least 1 more season at the helm after this one, might Nelson move on? His name is a hot topic among recruiting prognosticators, who wonder if he might reopen his commitment. At the moment, USC only has one other offer out to a Class of 2023 quarterback — Nico Iamaleava, who is committed to Tennessee — and 4 offers to 2024 quarterbacks, including California’s Julian Sayin (Carlsbad High) and Elijah Brown (Mater Dei).

Does that matter, though? If Riley is able to turn transfers into Heisman winners, why even mess with high schoolers who take time to develop? That may scare USC fans who have so long been able to have their pick of the litter. But such is big-time football in 2022.

There’s no such thing as patience anymore. You don’t stand by an oven and wait things for things to bake.

If you’re USC, you just go pick whatever donut you want.