A Prestigious Watch List
USC head coach Lincoln Riley has been placed on the 2026 Dodd Trophy preseason watch list, a honor that highlights the nation’s top coaches as they gear up for the upcoming season.
Riley, who took the reins at USC in 2022 after stints at Oklahoma and Alabama, has quickly become a benchmark for excellence, boasting a 76 percent win rate and three appearances in the College Football Playoff.
His reputation is amplified by the fact that he has mentored three of the last nine Heisman Trophy winners and stands alone as the only coach to have three quarterbacks drafted first overall in the NFL Draft.
The Dodd Trophy, presented by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, celebrates not only on‑field success but also scholarship, leadership and integrity, values that Riley has consistently championed.
Selection of the watch list incorporates academic metrics such as the Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate, community service initiatives, and projected performance for the 2026 campaign.
Looking Ahead to 2026
A midseason watch list will be released later in the fall, potentially expanding or narrowing the field before the final winner is announced in Atlanta during the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal week at the Peach Bowl.
The championship‑week ceremony will bring together coaches, players and fans in the Georgia capital to recognize the season’s most distinguished leader.