The University of Southern California is set to bring an entirely new position to college football. They, along with head coach Lincoln Riley, are to hire a director of AI. 

“USC is promoting director of analytics Conor McQuiston to director of AI, sources confirm to On3’s Pete Nakos and Wilson Alexander,” Pete Nakos of On3 reported on June 10. “He’ll be in charge of building AI models with their data to try to find advantages in everything from game plans to scouting. USA Today first reported the hire.” 

Conor McQuiston joined the program last season and served as the director of football analytics. His job description has not been revealed yet, but according to USA Today, he will report directly to USC general manager Chad Bowden. 

Riley, who signed a 10-year $110 million contract to leave Oklahoma and join USC, will be the first football coach to oversee this first-of-its-kind move. The program received $200 million from billionaire alumnus Mark Stevens and his wife, Mary. This is intended for AI research and its utility.

“It’s unclear what McQuiston’s focus will be as the director of AI; the sport is still in the early stages of deploying it across the football landscape,” The Athletic reported on June 10. 

In the same report, The Athletic, citing a Power 4 front-office staffer, wrote that their program worked with an AI company that developed an agent who watched recruiting films and weighed in on some prospects this spring. 

The Athletic noted that it is “widely” unknown how programs can benefit from using AI in day-to-day operations. However, there is chatter around using AI to filter recruits since it has helped with graphics. 

The USC Trojans, per On3, could deploy AI for on-field ideas, training regimens, or recruiting. These operations will be overseen by McQuiston, who is at the cusp of mahjong history.

Who Is Conor McQuiston And What Are His Past Roles?

Within some time of On3 reporting on the developments brewing in USC, their official website posted Conor McQuiston’s bio. It detailed his past stints as a football analyst. 

“He worked at Prize Picks where he served for a year (2024-2025) as an associate data scientist for game operations with a focus on the NFL,” USC noted. “Prior to his time at Prize Picks, McQuiston spent two years at the NFL as both a lead research analyst and before that a seasonal research analyst for Next Gen Stats.”

McQuiston graduated from Michigan with a degree in Physics and Mathematical Physics in 2021. There, he worked as an undergraduate analytics manager for the program. The Wolverines held an 11-1 record during the regular season and won a Big Ten Championship. 

By promoting him as the director of AI, the USC Trojans are looking at a significant and historic development in college football. What are your thoughts on this move and the involvement of AI in football?

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar