Christian Pierce has spent enough time around USC’s secondary to understand how much the room can shape a player. Entering his fourth season with the Trojans, the safety has learned from a long list of proven veterans - Calen Bullock, Bishop Fitzgerald, Kamari Ramsey, Akili Arnold and Jaylin Smith among them - and he says that variety has made a real difference in how he approaches the game.
“I've had a lot of great leaders since I've been at USC and seeing how they move and go about helped me,” Pierce said. “It made me prepare differently. It made me attack certain things a little differently.”
Now Pierce is working under his third defensive coordinator and position coach since arriving at Southern Cal, and new safeties coach Paul Gonzales has brought a different kind of attention to detail. Gonzales, a longtime assistant under defensive coordinator Gary Patterson, has pushed the finer points of the position, something Pierce says has already paid off.
“It's been very beneficial. One thing specific, I feel like last year I could have had less eye violations," Pierce said.
"That's something that he really hones on this year as a safety. Of course, safety, you have to have the best eyes, you have to communicate the best.
You have to put your players in right alignment.”
That kind of coaching matters because Pierce is no longer just trying to earn snaps. After mostly handling special teams in his first two seasons, he played in all 13 games last year and started nine of them.
He finished third on the team in tackles and tied for second in pass breakups, then carried that experience into several marquee games in 2025. Pierce said those moments changed how he views his second season as a starter.
“I've seen everything in my opinion. I've been in those big moments, so this year my mindset will be completely different,” Pierce said.
“I know how to attack everything. I know what's to come and how to go about it.
And even more of the preparedness you need to even be in that position. How prepared you have to be in the scheme and understanding the film aspect.
I feel like I developed on that aspect.”
Pierce also had every reason to look elsewhere earlier in his career. In today’s game, moving on is often the quick fix when playing time isn’t coming.
Even last season, he wasn’t expected to start until injuries at nickel during fall camp pushed Ramsey into that spot. Pierce stayed put, and being from Rancho Cucamonga, about 50 miles from USC’s campus, the connection to the program carries extra weight.
“It's a big deal. I believe just being at this university is a very big deal," Pierce said.
"It's very important. The tradition, the history of this place is unlike anything else.”
He also weighed in on USC and Notre Dame renewing their series, which will return in 2030 as a four-game set.
“I'm happy for it," Pierce said. "It's a great rivalry to have.
It's been a great game, great atmosphere. It's exactly what college football should be, and I believe it's gonna be fun to watch the younger guys play them in the future.”
In Other News...
USC Freshmen Are Already Making Lincoln Riley Face A Tough Choice
USCs 2026 recruiting class arrives with the kind of reputation that can change a roster conversation before the season even starts. Ranked No. 1 nationally and built around 35 recruits, the group already has coach Lincoln Riley sorting through which freshmen might be too talented to keep on the sideline for long. A few of the newcomers have the kind of physical tools and polish that usually earn a longer runway, but this bunch is drawing attention because the early contributors may not be hard to identify.
Ethan Boobie Feaster has already put some flash on the idea, showing the dynamic playmaking that makes him hard to ignore, while Luke Wafle looks physically ready and highly ranked enough to push for work right away. Mark Bowman adds another layer of intrigue at tight end with his size and talent, giving USC a trio of freshmen who could force a quicker decision than expected. For Riley, the question is no longer whether the class has upside, but how soon he has to make room for it. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Still Has One Big Chance To Fix Its Center Spot
Micah Handlogten has emerged as one of the more intriguing names on the center market, with the 7-foot-1 big man reportedly seeking a fifth year of eligibility for the 2026-27 season after three years at Florida and a role on the 2024-25 championship team. The appeal is easy to see: experience, size and a proven presence in the middle, all of which would draw attention from programs looking to stabilize the paint before next season rolls around.
For USC, the interest comes with a little more urgency because of the uncertainty around the frontcourt depth chart, and Handlogtens profile fits the kind of insurance a staff can rarely afford to pass up. NC State and Ole Miss are also in the mix, according to the report, leaving the Trojans with competition for a player who could reshape the conversation inside if the eligibility piece comes together. [Read more 🡒]
USC's 2027 Class Is Building Something Bigger Than Its Ranking
USCs 2027 recruiting class is still early in its construction, but it already has the look of something more interesting than a simple ranking might suggest. The class sits No. 18 nationally and No. 7 in the Big Ten, according to ESPN, with 14 commits and a clear lean toward defense, a notable shift for a program that has spent years trying to balance its identity on that side of the ball.
The most encouraging part for the Trojans is the mix of local talent and high-end upside. Several of the class top names are from California, and both wide receiver Quentin Hale and safety-athlete Honor Faalave-Johnson are viewed as prospects who could factor early once they arrive on campus. For a class that is still taking shape, the bigger storyline may be less about where it ranks right now and more about the kind of roster USC is trying to build. [Read more 🡒]