Lincoln Riley praises rising USC defensive back ahead of 2023 season
Lincoln Riley can spot talent from a mile away. He created a legacy at Oklahoma based not just on the recruiting trail, but also on the development of his players.
Entering Year 2 at USC, it’s all about building off an 11-3 campaign. Veterans will be asked to expand their roles and limit their mistakes. One player who should fall into that category is redshirt sophomore cornerback Ceyair Wright, who already has Riley’s attention entering spring football.
“It’s not a surprise, but he, to me, has been kind of one of the breakout players,” Riley told reporters Saturday. “It sounds weird to say ‘breakout player’ for a guy who started nine games for us last year. You don’t typically say those things together.”
Wright might not be a breakout player in Riley’s eyes. In the public, few outside the Trojan fan base likely know much about his play style or success in defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s system.
Last season, Wright totaled 28 tackles, 2 pass breakups, and an interception in 14 games. He started 11 games, primarily as a boundary corner and showed strong, but inconsistent play, often splitting first-team reps with Jacobe Covington.
“His improvement and some of the playmaking that he’s had, the difference has been as substantial as anybody on our roster through six practices,” said Riley.
Riley said that Wright could be in the mix for starting reps this fall, along with Covington and Arizona transfer Christian Roland-Wallace. So far, Roland-Wallace has been limited due to an ankle injury, thus opening the door for Wright to solidify his status as CB1.
“He had another interception today (Saturday),” said Riley. “He’s had multiple here early on, lots of great plays. Playing more confident. He’s gotten stronger. It’s what you hope would happen for a guy who got some phenomenal experience and game reps last year. Really been pleased with him.”