Lincoln Riley names Ceyair Wright, Mason Murphy among most improved at camp

Having a coach transition to a new program can be challenging for players. They need to adjust to a new system, new personality, and a new way of doing things. Lincoln Riley knew this before he moved from Oklahoma to USC.

While speaking to the media, Lincoln Riley was asked about what players were the most improved during the offseason. Two names came to mind right away for Riley, Ceyair Wright, Mason Murphy, and Xamarian Gordon.

“Ceyair, comes to mind,” Lincoln Riley said. “He’s one of the first guys off my mind when I think about where he was in Spring to now. Mason Murphy comes to mind.”

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While Lincoln Riley did want to emphasize Wright and Murphy, he also pointed out that they’re not alone in making a big jump during the offseason.

“There’s a lot more that have than haven’t. I’d put it that way. I mean, the guys that have been able to just stay, one stay on the field. You know, stay healthy, whether it’s on the field or be able to go full participation in our offseason program. They’ve all made strides. I mean, there’s no doubt about it. So, but those are three guys that you say–you turn on the film in Spring, then you turn on the film in Fall and there’s a noticeable, I mean a really big gap. So, obviously, they did a pretty good job throughout the Summer and here in Fall camp,” Lincoln Riley explained.

Xamarian Gordon is a redshirt freshman for USC, who plays defensive back. He was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2021. That is the same class that both Mason Murphy and Ceyair Wright were a part of. Wright, for his part, was also a four-star recruit who plays defensive back. Murphy, an interior offensive lineman, was a three-star recruit.

Lincoln Riley on Ceyair Wright acting and playing football

Ceyair Wright is more than just a football player. He’s also an actor, who has appeared in things like Space Jam: a New Legacy and “Grown-ish.” Lincoln Riley addressed his acting aspirations and how he balances them with playing football.

“But, we’ve also had guys that have had other interests or other things going on in their lives,” Lincoln Riley said. “Like I compare it to having a guy play baseball and football like we did with Kyler (Murray) and some of the other guys — to me, that’s even more of a challenge. At least what he’s doing is not physically demanding so it’s just find a little time in the schedule and I will give the kid credit, he’s clearly done a good job. Because he’s a much better player right now than he was in the spring. So he made some nice improvements throughout the summer.”