INDIANAPOLIS -- A perception has formed within the fan base (and beyond) that USC is lagging in NIL support and that is why the Trojans missed on key targets in the transfer portal, had three high-profile decommitments from their top defensive recruits and overall have had a quiet summer while tumbling to No. 22 in the Rivals recruiting rankings.

So it only seemed appropriate to ask Trojans coach Lincoln Riley directly if that is a fair assessment or not.

Speaking one-on-one to TrojanSports.com during Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis on Wednesday, Riley pushed back strongly against that perception and had a lot to say on the matter.

"It's not accurate at all," he said. "Our NIL has taken massive leaps. I would venture to guess we're probably one of if not the most improved NIL group in the country. It's just where we started from two years ago was the complete floor, where a lot of our competitors and people that we're currently competing against in recruiting were not at that same point two years ago. So, we're growing, we're progressing. ...

"From NIL, we're getting to a very competitive place. Again, I'm really, really proud of our progress. Is there room to continue to improve and to get better? Of course there is. Absolutely. But to sit here and say we're not getting a player here or there because of NIL is not always the truth. The narrative nationally has flipped -- it's like now it's, well, every kid that goes to a school or doesn't go to a school it's just because they paid him or they didn't pay him, and that's not the truth. ... No, to say that we're not getting guys because of NIL is not an accurate statement, and anybody that says that has absolutely no clue about what's going on behind the scenes at our place."