Lincoln Riley updates Michael Jackson's progress, praises his willingness to battle back

As the USC Trojans prepare for their upcoming battle against the Arizona Wildcats, head coach Lincoln Riley provides an update on wide receiver Michael Jackson’s progress and praises him for his willingness to battle through his string of injuries.

“I Just appreciate, mentally, that he hung in there. It wasn’t easy to,” said Riley. “He had just a string of nagging injuries. I know his frustration level was at about a boiling point. But again, another great example of; if you hang in there, then good things can happen.

“I think he realizes he’s in a place with a system and quarterback and all those things; when you get healthy and do well, you’re gonna have as good of an opportunity as anywhere in the country. So, it’s been good to see him kind of battle back. And then, when he gets on the field, he’s an impressive player. He does run well with the ball. He’s an aggressive, tough, physical, competitive player.”

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The sophomore from Las Vegas, NV, has not been able to contribute in the way he would like this season. On the year, Jackson has recorded one catch for 20 yards which was good enough for a touchdown against Utah. Last season Jackson was able to record 12 catches for 116 yards playing in four games for the Trojans.

Riley tells incredible story that illustrates the toughness of Tuasivi Nomura

The identity of Riley’s team heading into his first season as USC‘s head coach was a question mark, as his roster comprised largely of transfer portal additions was headlined by flashy names like Caleb Williams, Jordan Addison, and Travis Dye. Riley’s offensive three-headed monster has performed well this season, but role players like linebacker Tuasivi Nomura have also made their mark on the Trojans team this year.

“He’s been really good, he’s one of our toughest, most physical players on the football team,” Riley said. “You feel his physicality, and his speed, and his decisiveness on the field, and another guy whose emergence on special teams and defense has been very important.”

Nomura is hard not to notice when watching USC games, with long hair flowing out of the back of his helmet and a high motor that any coach would want out of a player. Riley spoke more on his toughness as he shared a story about an injury Nomura sustained in their week 3 game versus Fresno State.