USC’s cornerback room looks better than it has in the Lincoln Riley era, but the Trojans are about to find out just how sturdy it really is.
That group will be under the microscope all season, because USC is scheduled to run into some loaded receiver rooms in 2026. The headliner is Ohio State, where Jeremiah Smith stands out as the biggest challenge on the Trojans’ slate. Smith is a two-time first team All-American, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound problem for any secondary, and the kind of receiver who already has eyes on the Biletnikoff Award and a future as a top NFL Draft pick.
The Buckeyes also bring plenty of help around him. Chris Henry Jr., the 6-foot-6 Mater Dei product, turned heads in the spring game and looks ready to carry on a long line of elite Ohio State receivers. Brandon Innis, UTSA transfer Devin McCuin, LSU transfer Kyle Parker, and freshmen Jerquaden Guilford and Brock Boyd give Columbus a deep group behind the star.
Indiana presents a different kind of test, even after losing Omar Cooper Jr., the No. 22 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, and Elijah Sarratt. The Hoosiers may still end up with a better receiver duo in 2026.
Charlie Becker emerged late last season, didn’t crack the starting lineup until the second half of the year, and then became a trusted target for Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. At 6-foot-4 and 207 pounds, Becker brings size, a deep threat element and real ability in contested catches.
He’s already drawing first round pick buzz.
Nick Marsh gives Indiana another big body to work with. The 6-foot-3, 213-pound receiver has put up 600-plus receiving yards in back-to-back seasons despite uneven quarterback play at Michigan State.
Now he gets a proven passer in TCU transfer Josh Hoover. Tyler Morris and Tulane transfer Shazz Preston are also part of the mix.
Oregon, meanwhile, has a receiver room built around speed and upside. Evan Stewart is back after missing all of last season with an injury.
The former five-star recruit arrived at Oregon from Texas A&M in 2024 and remains a dangerous deep-ball target. Dakorien Moore fits that same mold.
The Duncanville, Texas, product was a five-star in the 2025 class, had a solid freshman season and is looking for another jump this fall.
Stewart and Moore lead a group that also includes Jeremiah McClellan, Iverson Hooks, and freshmen Jalen Lott and Messiah Hampton.
All of that is why USC’s cornerback competition matters so much. Marcelles Williams made his first career start in Week 3 last season and never gave the job back.
The St. John Bosco product had his share of growing pains, but he became a key part of the Trojans’ defensive success over the final month.
Now entering his redshirt sophomore season, he’s more confident - and facing real pressure to keep his spot.
Jontez Williams arrived as one of the biggest transfer additions in January. The Iowa State transfer is the most experienced corner on the roster and was a second team All-Big 12 selection in 2024. He’s coming back from a significant knee injury, as is redshirt sophomore Chasen Johnson, but both are expected to be ready for camp.
Johnson started four games as a true freshman under cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed at UCF in 2024, then played only two games last season. He heads into this year with something to prove. Johnson and redshirt freshman RJ Sermons both bring size at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds.
Sermons, a talented sprinter from Rancho Cucamonga, was once a five-star recruit and the No. 1 cornerback in the 2026 class before reclassifying last summer. He spent his freshman year developing in the background so he’d be ready now.
Freshman Elbert “Rock” Hill also enters the picture with real momentum. ESPN ranked him the No. 1 cornerback in the 2026 class, and he backed that up with a strong spring. The Ohio native looks like a player who could force his way onto the field quickly, which USC may need because this secondary will need more than a couple of corners to hold up against the receiver talent coming its way.
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