Lincoln Riley revealed Tuesday that he's made a change to how USC approaches naming team captains.
Unlike in past years, the Trojans won't have season-long team captains but will instead name them on a weekly basis before each game.
The choices were Week 1 are no surprise -- QB Miller Moss, C Jonah Monheim, WR Kyron Hudson, LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and S Akili Arnold will serve as the initial group of team captains.
"Captains-wise, we’re pivoting a little bit, a little bit closer to kind of what we did for the Holiday Bowl. And we are going to have captains this year game-by-game. We’re not going to name permanent team captains," Riley said. "Now, I do have a leadership council that’s permanent that I meet with on a weekly basis, and that’ll continue. But our captains are going to be earned each week, it’ll be announced. ... And not necessarily on somebody not doing a good job. It’s just going to be the five that we think are the best and most deserving and the ones that we want leading us out each and every week.
"And kind of like this game of college football – every week you gotta earn it.”
Moss said Riley discussed the idea with him earlier in the offseason and it made sense to him.
"Obviously, it's an honor to go out there and represent our team. Anytime you have that opportunity to do that for USC, I think it's an honor and a privilege," he said. "Coach Riley had spoken to me about this earlier in the offseason -- I think it's a really good idea. I don't think you want to be at the end of the season [and] have guys walking out there who haven't necessarily earned it week to week. Not that that has happened before, but I think it forces the guys who are initially representing the team and who are pushed to the top to continue to be there.
"And I think that's a positive because we don't want anyone in our program getting comfortable and resting on the fact they've been anointed to a certain position. I think having to earn that each and every week is really important."