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HC Lincoln Riley has had a busy week. After losing to Notre Dame last Saturday, USC has two bye weeks to fix all its issues before taking on Nebraska in November. While doing that, reports now confirm that Riley is also focusing on building his team for 2026, recruiting an RB with a last name that is all too familiar to the Trojans faithful. And surprisingly, the player is Dr. Dre’s nephew, leading some to believe a nepotism play could be at hand. The player in question, Kayne Miller, is a 16-year-old RB from Calabasas High School who becomes another commit for USC this month. That last name might sound familiar because he is the younger brother of twins DL Kaylon and RB King Miller, who joined the USC program in 2023. It seems likely that Lincoln Riley wants the USC Trojans to keep it in the family. This move marks a rare story in college football: three brothers joining the same college football program (and possibly playing together). The 16-year-old confirmed receiving a PWO offer from USC in a post on X. The post read, “I am so blessed and honored to say that after a great talk with @DreBrownUSC. I have received a PWO from the University of Southern California! Thank you for this great opportunity!” ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Kayne Miller has been instrumental in the Calabasas offense this season. As of this season, the 5’8″ 175-pound RB has 775 rushing yards and 10 TDs on 91 carries. His main strengths are his agility and low center of gravity, which help him maneuver past the opposition’s defense with ease. Last season, he recorded 1,632 all-purpose yards, including 1,250 rushing yards, averaging 148.8 rushing yards per game, along with 12 total touchdowns and 60 total tackles. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad While his stats are impressive for his age, the move to USC also brings in negative attention due to the nepotism angle. Some fans theorize that the Miller connection to producer and rapper Dr. Dre may have influenced their recruitment process. All three Miller brothers are speculated to be the rapper’s nephews, raising further doubts. And this acts like adding fuel to the fire, as it comes after the recent controversy about them prioritizing signing wealthy kids as walk-on athletes. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Kayne Miller’s hiring adds to the ongoing controversy at USC A few months ago, the LA Times launched an investigation into USC’s recruitment program. The reason was simple. They had reasons to believe that USC was recruiting walk-on athletes from wealthy families, sparking a debate on the unethical practice going on at the Trojans. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad A report by them found one international applicant with poor grades, described internally as a mediocre student at best, getting a walk-on offer as a golf player after his father donated $3 million to the USC golf program. The LA Times investigation also revealed that the applications from the families of real estate developers and business executives often had an 80 to 90 percent acceptance rate. This raises an important question: If rich families can pay off their kids’ way to a contract, then what about the ones who come from merit-based selection? Is it fair for those students who work their way up just to see someone else in their position because of their family’s money? While USC confirmed to fire the individuals responsible for the controversy, Kaylen Miller’s move could ignite those claims again. If it was indeed Kayne Miller’s connection to Dr. Dre that got him the walk-on offer, it’s safe to consider nepotism a norm at USC.
