USC Trojans lose three seemingly key players to transfer portal

From 2020 to 2023, Raikes played for Texas A&M. He appeared in 36 games for the Aggies, but only started in five. Due to COVID, he still has one more year of collegiate playing eligibility.

Raikes is a mountain of a man. He is 6’2″ and weighs 320 pounds.

In January 2024, Raikes transferred from A&M to USC. Less than four months later, Raikes has reentered the transfer portal. No reasons for Raikes’ decision have been disclosed yet.

Thus, Raikes is leaving before ever playing in a game for the Trojans.

Trojans Wire commented on the unusual case of Raikes re-entry into the transfer portal:

“The transfer portal departure of Isaiah Raikes from USC is quite a story for the NCAA to contemplate. The portal does spin at a rapid pace, and … players [indeed] change their minds all the time on where they want to play. However, it’s not normal to see what we have seen at USC football.

“Isaiah Raikes transferred to USC from Texas A&M in January. In late March, he told Trojans Wire’s Tim Prangley how excited he was to play for D’Anton Lynn.

“Now, he appears to be heading out of the program, going back to the transfer portal three months after his move from A&M to USC.”

Trojans Wire then goes on to speculate about two possible reasons why Raikes may have re-entered the portal:

“One: Raikes thought he would get playing time and realized he didn’t stack up as favorably against other USC players as he — and/or the coaches — expected.

“Two: The other blind guess is that Raikes wanted an NIL sweetener of some kind — a bigger bag — and he didn’t get it.”

Tre’Quon Fegans

Per On3:

“USC cornerback Tre’Quon Fegans plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal…. Fegans began his career at Alabama before transferring to USC ahead of the 2023 campaign. This past season, Fegans tallied nine tackles (four solos and five assists). Before [transferring to USC,] … Fegans used his true freshman season to redshirt at Alabama when he did not see the field….

“Does the loss of Fegans affect USC’s defensive backfield going forward? Outside of providing depth at safety and nickel positions, he played sparingly last season and this spring was trying to impress the defensive coaching staff. The Trojans recruited a bevy of young secondary talent with its 2024 recruiting class. So while Fegans’ veteran presence will be missed, there are still plenty of options available for D’Anton Lynn and [secondary coach] Doug Belk’s consideration.”

Fegans, who was the No. 105 overall recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, played only 62 defensive snaps for the Trojans in six games during the 2023 season. It is expected that he will transfer to a location near his hometown in Alabama.

Jason Zandamela

Jason Zandamela was born in Mozambique. Before coming to the United States in 2020, he did not play football.

He is 6’3″ and weighs 290 lbs. For the 2024 recruiting class, he is touted as the “No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the country by 247Sports, ESPN[,] and Rivals.”

The loss of Zandamela is a stinging one for the Trojans. He was the highest-rated recruit in their 2024 recruiting class.

247Sports Director of Scouting, Andrew Ivins, made the following observations about Zandamela:

“[Zandamela started] at center as a junior for Clearwater Academy International, which has cemented itself as a hub for overseas talent. He has a [n]aturally squatty base[,] [which] allows him to find plenty of leverage[,] while a powerful upper half makes his initial punch rather effective. He [s]hifts his weight well…. He [a]lso doesn’t struggle to get to the second level and put his nose on a linebacker, which suggests that he could thrive in a pin-and-pull-heavy offensive scheme.

“[He] [w]ill need to keep progressing and continue to soak up any and all coaching, but fluid movement patterns, explosive hips, and prototypical frame (has an 81.5-inch wingspan on file) make him one of the more intriguing interior offensive line prospects in the 2024 recruiting cycle. [He] [s]hould be viewed as a potential multi-year starter in the middle at the Power Five level…. [He has] NFL upside.”

Head Coach Lincoln Riley shrugged off the loss of Zandamela, at least in terms of USC’s immediate future. Riley said, “Jason wasn’t a factor to play this year for us.” Riley also adverted to the possible reasoning behind Zandamela’s departure, noting his “very unique background.”

Zandamela received offers from Auburn, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Oregon, and Stanford before selecting USC.

On3 reported:

“USC true freshman offensive lineman Jason Zandamela plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal…. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound offensive lineman from Clearwater, Florida was ranked as one of the top offensive linemen in the 2024 cycle….

“Coming out of high school, Zandamela held 30-plus scholarship offers and was named an Under Armour All-American. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, he was rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 118 overall player in America.

“He was enrolled at USC for the spring of 2024 and was expected to compete for playing time along the offensive line as a true freshman in the 2024 campaign….

“The Trojans’ offensive line certainly could have used the help. Last season, their unit allowed 2.6 sacks per game, ranking them 96th in the nation in that stat category.“

Thus, like Raikes, Zandamela is leaving USC before ever playing a single snap. In that sense, it seems odd to characterize their departures as genuine transfers.

Steps the USC Trojans Are Taking to Offset the Losses to the Transfer Portal

As previously reported in Gridiron Heroics, the USC Trojans are not sitting idly by while enduring losses to the transfer portal. First, they are hot on the recruiting trail, with the nation’s third-rated recruiting class for the 2025 cycle. Second, and more importantly for immediate purposes, they have been active in the acquisition of players in the transfer portal.

Incoming Transfers

The Trojans have several solid players coming in via the transfer portal. Notably, two of their incoming players are transfers from cross-town rival UCLA. Some of the notable incoming transfers are:

• Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, Junior, LB — Oregon State
• Nate Clifton, Senior, DL — Vanderbilt
• Jo’Quavious Marks, Senior, RB — Mississippi State
• Kamari Ramsey, redshirt Freshman, S — UCLA
• Akili Arnold, Senior, S — Oregon State
• John Humphrey, Senior, CB — UCLA
• DeCarlos Nicholson, Senior, CB — Mississippi State
• Jaden Richardson, Senior, WR — Tufts
• Jayden Maiava, redshirt Freshman, QB — UNLV

All of the listed individuals are expected to compete for playing time in 2024.

Notably, six of these incoming transfers are defenders. This addresses a critical area of need for the Trojans, as their defense was a weak point over the past two seasons.

An important update regarding this group is that cornerback John Humphrey recently had to undergo minor surgery. Coach Riley told the media that Humphrey will miss the rest of the Trojans’ spring camp, but that he will be available when play begins in the Fall. Humphrey is expected to compete for a starting position in the Trojans’ defensive backfield.

Highly-Rated Recruits in the 2024 Class

USC has a strong and deep group of incoming players in its 2024 recruiting class:

• Kameryn Fountain — Edge from Georgia
• Marcelles Williams — CB from California
• Xavier Jordan — WR from California
• Elijah Newby — LB from Connecticut
• Carlon Jones — DL from Texas
• Walter Matthews — TE from Georgia
• Joey Olsen — TE from Oregon
• Marquis Gallegos – S from California
• Makai Saina — OL from Texas
• Isaiah Rubin — CB from California
• Desman Stephens II — LB from Michigan

Each of the listed individuals is a 4-star recruit.

Thus, despite the losses of a few players to the transfer portal, the Trojans appear to be well-positioned going forward.