It didn't take long after redshirt senior defensive tackle Brandon Pili's season-ending Achilles tear for USC to decide it needed more help in the middle of its defensive line.

The Trojans have joined into the recruitment of Illinois State nose tackle John Ridgeway, who is in the transfer portal.

Ridgeway made the most of the Redbirds' limited four-game spring season (the rest was cancelled), tallying 22 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback hurries and an interception in that time.

Listed at 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, Ridgeway has been a starter since his freshman season at Illinois State and was an All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honorable mention as a sophomore in 2019 -- the team's last full season.

As FCS football goes, that's traditionally among the strongest conferences, and Ridgeway performed well with a team-high 9 tackles when Illinois State played FCS national power North Dakota State in 2019.

With Pili injured, USC is going through spring camp with freshman Jay Toia and redshirt freshman Jamar Sekona as its top nose tackles. Redshirt freshman Kobe Pepe and Alabama transfer Ishmael Sopsher are also out injured but should be part of the mix in fall camp. Sopsher was a high-profile offseason addition, Toia has looked dominant at times this spring and Sekona has been among the Trojans' most improved players, so it's not a desperate situation.

But none of those players are proven at the college level. Ridgeway makes for an intriguing target who could likely step in and contribute immediately.