USC football breakdown: How the Trojans look in the secondary

If the USC cornerback room was lacking in 2025, it’s now overflowing with options in 2026.

The Trojans brought in eight new players at the position through either the 2026 signing class or the transfer portal, searching the country for players who could help them put together a secondary that provides more cohesive coverage.

Even with All-American Bishop Fitzgerald and future NFL player Kamari Ramsey at safety, USC’s defense ranked 16th out of 18 Big Ten teams in passes broken up with 30. It had the sixth-most interceptions with 12 and the passing defense was near the middle of the conference, allowing 207.5 passing yards per game.

The Trojans were down two cornerbacks in Prophet Brown and Chasen Johnson, who were both out due to injury but are expected to return this season. It forced redshirt freshman Marcelles Williams to step in at corner, and safety Christian Pierce was in a similar situation at safety whenever Ramsey missed a game.

“I love how we went about this season,” Pierce told reporters in mid-December. “Overcoming adversity with my teammates, even though we had injuries and a little adversity throughout the season. We overcame it and we pushed through it from away games to home games to bye week to game week. The rivalries, everything. I feel like we handled it at a high level.”

Incoming freshmen like four-star signees Elbert Hill (Ohio) and Brandon Lockhart (Sierra Canyon) will have to compete with transfers Jontez Williams (Iowa State) and Carrington Pierce (Oklahoma State), making deciding on a depth chart difficult for the coaching staff.

But who will be involved in those depth chart decisions? USC currently does not have a secondary coach since Doug Belk left shortly after reports surfaced that the Trojans will be hiring former TCU head coach Gary Patterson as its defensive coordinator.

Patterson is a former secondary coach and could have a great influence.

As the first transfer portal window has wrapped – although exceptions are always possible – here’s a full breakdown of the movement in USC’s secondary entering spring, the sixth in a seven-part series examining the post-portal scholarship outlook for every part of the roster. Previously, we’ve looked at the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive linemen, defensive linemen and linebackers.

CORNERBACK

Returning: Prophet Brown, R-Sr.; Chasen Johnson, Soph.; Marcelles Williams, R-Fr.; Alex Graham, Fr.; Trestin Castro, Fr.; Shawn Sehra, R-Soph.; RJ Sermons, Fr.; Isaac Shin, Fr.

Arriving: Elbert Hill (Ohio); Brandon Lockhart (Sierra Canyon); Peyton Dyer (Tennessee); Josh Holland (St. John Bosco); Madden Riordan (Sierra Canyon); Jayden Crowder (Santa Margarita); Jontez Williams, Jr. (transfer, Iowa State); Carrington Pierce, Soph. (transfer, Oklahoma State)

Departing: DJ Harvey, R-Sr. (eligibility); DeCarlos Nicholson, R-Sr. (eligibility); Kevin Longstreet, R-Soph. (portal, New Mexico State); James Johnson, Fr. (portal, Middle Tennessee); Braylon Conley, Soph. (portal, Georgia)

SAFETY/NICKEL

Returning: Christian Pierce, Jr.; Kennedy Urlacher, Soph.; Marquis Gallegos, R-Fr.; Isaiah Rubin, R-Fr.; Kendarius Reddick, Fr.; Brandon Shepherd, R-Jr.

Arriving: None

Departing: Kamari Ramsey, R-Jr. (NFL Draft); Bishop Firtzgerald, R-Sr. (NFL Draft); Steve Miller, Fr. (Portal, UConn)

Can the transfers step in right away?

Jontez Williams was the No. 1-ranked cornerback in the transfer portal and signed with USC on the third day of the transfer period. He brings three years of experience at the position and had his best season with Iowa State in 2024 — racking up 15 tackles, four interceptions and five pass breakups.

He played in five games in 2025 before a damaged ACL sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Pro Football Focus graded him highly in tackling and coverage with marks of 79.8 and 82.2, respectively.

Carrington Pierce was the first transfer that USC gained and signed with the Trojans on the first day the portal was open — an indication that the coaching staff had its eyes on him for some time.

Pierce didn’t begin playing football until his freshman year at Chaffey College, but was a standout basketball player at Etiwanda High. His offseason development will determine what role he plays this season.

How long will it take to rebuild at safety?

USC had two of the best safeties in college football this season: Kamari Ramsey and Bishop Fitzgerald. Ramsey is the fifth-ranked safety on Mel Kiper’s latest big board for the 2026 NFL Draft and Fitzgerald used the season to vault himself to All-American status.

Christian Pierce and Kennedy Urlacher started opposite each other in the Alamo Bowl, while Isaiah Rubin and Marquis Gallegos were second on the two-deep depth chart.

Pierce had an up-and-down season in almost all areas of his game, especially when it came to making tackles. Urlacher made it into seven games this season and, similarly, had mixed results. The offseason will be a chance to sharpen up these two or experiment with players from other position groups.