Reviewing the "Men of Troy" book plus USC football camp updates

In this edition of the Peristyle Podcast hosts Ryan Abraham, RJ Abeytia and intern India Otto are back in studio discussing a few different USC football topics, starting with a look back at the Pete Carroll era, updates from the latest high school football camps held on campus and looking at a potential breakout player for the Trojans in 2026.

First up, Ryan gives his review of "Men of Troy" by Monte Burke, a non-fiction book chronicling the rise, reign, and fall of Pete Carroll's USC Trojans football dynasty in the 2000s. Burke goes into that powerhouse Carroll build that brought Heisman Trophies and NCAA Championships to Troy, the celebrity culture around the program, the eventual scandal that helped derail the team. He shares lots of good nuggets in the book with extensive interviews, bringing back both great and painful memories for USC football fans.

RJ was on campus last week, watching USC’s invite-only high school football camp. It was a chance to see the coaches working close up with players and we realized it was a sign of the changing times. Whereas team camps were meant to be evaluations of player potential, now they serve as a two-way street for players and coaches to judge how they work with one another in a practice environment. We got to see Gary Patterson, Skyler Jones and Shaun Nua all work for extended time with top recruits and it gave us a glimpse into how they work with the current Trojans.

The crew also discusses Ryan's interview with Owen Hanson, the "Cocaine Quarterback," give an update on the Bloom Center progress and the potential for defensive lineman Floyd Boucard to be a breakout player this season.