First year USC football coach Lincoln Riley watches the offense during spring practice at USC on Tuesday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Lincoln Riley was everywhere.
He ran alongside tight end Ethan Rae as if he was a linebacker covering him.
He ran over to receiver Mario Williams, pointed to the sideline and offered him some words of advice.
He broke up a pass intended for Ty Shamblin and slapped the receiver’s helmet.
In his first practice as USC’s head coach, Riley projected an abundance of youthful coaching energy on Tuesday, running and clapping and injecting vitality back into the Los Angeles’ most popular football team.
This wasn’t a Clay Helton practice.
This was closer to a Sean McVay training session.
Wearing a white visor and sunglasses, Riley was dressed in a gray shirt with rolled-up sleeves and black shorts.
He looked 38 years young.
And when the practice was over, Riley was ready for Round 2.
“I’m not tired, man,” Riley said. “I’ve been waiting 100 days for this, man. This is what we do. The way the players are responding, the way the staff is coming together, it energizes me. It excites me. I was so ready for this day, to be here. I can’t even describe it. It was a blast. I wish we could go back and run it back right now.”
Helton is only 11 years older, but he might as well be 40 years Riley’s senior.
“The energy level is really high,” running back Austin Jones said. “It’s a different type of atmosphere.”
Jones, who started for Stanford last year, is one of three transfer running backs on the team.
Travis Dye, another senior transfer, ranks fifth all-time at Oregon in career rushing yards. Darwin Barlow moved from Texas Christian.
The Trojans have 13 transfers on their roster, including quarterback Caleb Williams, who followed Riley from Oklahoma. Other transfers could join…
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