USC’s secondary has been a moving target, and Alex Graham is one of the reasons the Trojans feel better about where things are headed in 2026.
The second-year freshman enters the season as one of the more intriguing pieces on the roster after a 2025 campaign that never really got going because of injury. Graham was expected to have a role early last fall, then a rib issue knocked him off track and limited him to four regular-season games, enough for USC to preserve a year of eligibility. Even so, the flashes were enough to make him a priority retention for the Trojans, and now he’s back with a real chance to matter.
At 6-foot-0 and 200 pounds, the Detroit native has the kind of versatility that gives a coaching staff options. He played cornerback in high school, handled nickelback duties last season and could fit at any of the five defensive back spots. Still, the best long-term fit may be safety, and that’s where new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson will have to decide how Graham fits alongside the rest of the unit.
The path to that opportunity was messy in 2025. USC’s nickel spot was unsettled from the start because of injuries, with Prophet Brown initially in line to start before missing the entire season.
Kamari Ramsey had to move closer to the line of scrimmage, and when he was unavailable against Illinois, Kevin Longstreet and Kendarius Reddick got chances. Graham was in the mix before his own injury hit, and after Ramsey went down early against Iowa, Graham ended up taking nearly every nickelback rep the rest of the regular season.
Lincoln Riley said in November, "It was unfortunate he had the injury when he did because he was trending towards playing a lot very early in the season," Riley said in November. "But he's, done a good job getting his body back, and then mentally kind of hanging in there, because that was tough, where you think you're going to play and you kind of earn that right, and then all of a sudden, the rug gets pulled out from underneath you. So I've been impressed with his maturity and desire to get back."
Graham’s first start came against UCLA, and he made it count. Pro Football Focus gave him a 70.0 overall grade, including a 71.6 mark against the run.
He allowed just two catches in that game, for six and five yards. His second start came in the bowl game, where he was steady if not spectacular: a 74.6 run-defense grade, a career-high eight tackles and five completions allowed for 49 yards.
For the season, he finished with 15 tackles, two for loss and 136 defensive snaps.
That limited sample was enough to show USC what it might have in Graham, and it’s why he’s expected to step into a starting role and become one of the more important playmakers in the back seven. The big question now is not whether he’ll play, but where exactly he lands in a secondary that still has pieces to sort out.
With the right alignment, Graham could push himself into the top half of safeties in the Big Ten.
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