Lincoln Riley constructs the perfect quarterback from his past signal callers

In the process of making his Big Ten media day rounds, USC football coach Lincoln Riley stopped by to talk with the Cover 3 podcast. Host Tom Fornelli asked him a great question. Fornelli wanted Riley to construct the perfect quarterback from his illustrious list of signal-callers — from Baker Mayfield to Caleb Williams.

Lincoln Riley’s answer:

“I would say Jalen Hurts’ durability and just I think mental toughness. I would say [Kyler Murray’s] quickness and his competitiveness. I’d say [Baker Mayfield’s] mind for the game and his energy. I would say [Caleb Williams’] elusiveness and arm talent. If you have that you have a pretty good start.”

Combining three Heisman trophy winners and a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback would produce an amazing five-star prospect. Riley admitted, “This would make recruiting a lot easier, right?”

The fun thought experiment on the show highlights just how potent a developer of quarterback talent Lincoln Riley is, and how quarterback- friendly his system is to display that talent. If Riley’s Frankenstein quarterback exists, as long as Lincoln is at USC, the Trojans will at least get an official visit or two from him.

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