USC to lose promising defender to transfer portal, per report
USC defensive end Sam Greene is heading to the transfer portal, a source told Matt Zenitz with CBS Sports/247Sports on Saturday.
Greene had 15 tackles, 10 of them solo, 3 tackles-for-loss and 1 sack in 2024. In USC’s win over Rutgers on Oct. 25, Greene had 2 tackles-for-loss and that 1 sack.
USC EDGE Sam Greene is set to enter the transfer portal, a source tells @CBSSports/@247Sports.
Posted 15 tackles and three tackles for loss this season for the Trojans, including two tackles for loss and a sack during USC’s win over Rutgers.https://t.co/AjDBk3VwfW pic.twitter.com/dpcGjmN5K2
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 7, 2024
The 6-foot-1, 255-pound redshirt freshman will have 3 years of eligibility remaining. Greene appeared in all 12 games this season for USC after taking the redshirt in 2023.
Greene played his high school football at Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy, where he was a 3-star prospect.
Greene appeared in just 3 games as a true freshman last season, with USC head coach Lincoln Riley and his staff deciding to preserve his redshirt. He started this season behind Anthony Lucas and Jamil Muhammad on the depth chart, seeing limited snaps in games against Utah State and Minnesota.
But with injuries piling up along the defensive front and with Muhammad and Lucas not even playing against Rutgers, it was a big opportunity for younger players like Greene to get important snaps. Greene took advantage of that opportunity, turning in a huge game during a blowout victory.
“It felt great just getting out there with the guys, just being able to contribute to the team,” Greene said of the performance against Rutgers. “It was great, it was a great feeling. (I have) been waiting on that for a long time.”
Now, it looks like Greene might be waiting for his next chance with a different program.