Almost two years to the day, his signing had been celebrated as USC’s first major recruiting victory of the Lincoln Riley era. Domani Jackson was, after all, the top prospect in California, a cornerback coveted across college football. His commitment, just three weeks after Riley’s arrival at USC, was seen then as an early referendum — a sign of what the coach could soon accomplish once he found his foothold on the recruiting trail.
But by Monday, two full recruiting cycles later, the spoils of several early wins for Riley on the recruiting trail had lost much of their luster.