Jordan Addison situation was never as clear-cut as USC’s critics hoped

Do we really know what happened in the Jordan Addison saga? Do we have finite details about how he came to USC?

Many fans around the Pac-12 and the country want to know.

The inconvenient answer at the moment: It’s hard to pin anything down … which only serves to reinforce how premature the criticisms and condemnations were from the outside world toward Lincoln Riley.

Jon Wilner of The San Jose Mercury News and the Wilner Hotline addressed the Addison question, several weeks after it became the talk of the college football world.

I am not aware of anyone laying out the tampering details, although it’s easy to envision how a school might go about the process (phone calls or text messages to people within the player’s inner circle).

As we wrote at the time, the Addison case carries additional complexity because he has a relationship with USC quarterback Caleb Williams, and there are no rules against players recruiting other players. It happens all the time.

Also, Addison has his sights on the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft and undoubtedly looked at a season with Williams, in Lincoln Riley’s offense, as a career-enhancing opportunity.

As for the size of his NIL deal, well, there were plenty of rumors on social media, including one speculative posting that linked Addison to a $3.5 million deal.

I’d be surprised if the real dollars are close to that figure. Many of the purported NIL price tags are exaggerated to make the school look attractive.

The truth is usually less explosive than instant accusations. Imagine that.