Chasen Johnson has quietly become one of USC’s steadier pieces in the secondary, and now the redshirt sophomore corner is staring down a different kind of test in Week 11.
Through eight games, Johnson has put together 14 total tackles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery while working in a rotating role. Against No.
9 Indiana, though, the assignment gets louder. The Hoosiers bring two top targets to the table in Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh, and both have forced defenses to pick their poison.
Becker has 50 catches for 875 yards and nine touchdowns. Marsh has added 38 receptions for 669 yards and eight scores. Johnson knows exactly what kind of challenge that creates.
“Real physical guy. Has some great speed. He's a real experienced receiver, so it's going to be a great matchup,” Johnson said.
The quarterback situation is just as unsettled. Like USC’s Week 9 matchup with Ohio State, the Trojans won’t know for sure who they’re preparing for until game time. Indiana’s options are Josh Hoover and Grant Wilson, with Wilson having taken over in the second half against Minnesota.
“We prepare every game the same way no matter who's out there,” Johnson said about the Hoosiers’ quarterbacks. “So, we just attack the film room and do as much as we can with the receivers’ tendencies and all that.”
If Indiana has a clear calling card on offense, it’s the run game. The Hoosiers are averaging 5.1 yards per carry, which ranks No. 17 nationally, along with 33.6 rushes and 172.5 rushing yards per game.
“Like I said, they're a disciplined program, really experienced,” Johnson said about their run game. “You know the great coach [Curt Cignetti] that they have.”
That experience has shown up in tight finishes, too. Indiana is 4-1 in one-score games, something Johnson pointed to as a sign of how well the group is wired.
“I think that's because they're so close,” Johnson said of Indiana's ability to win close games. “They must have a real, great culture because how they how they end up on top every time.
Not a coincidence. So, we just got to go out there, play our best game.”
USC’s own growth has come on the defensive side, where tackling has been a point of emphasis. The Trojans entered the season with second-level tackling as a recurring issue, but the unit has improved as the year has gone on. Week 9 stood out as its best showing, with 62 solo tackles and a cleaner effort at limiting explosive plays.
“We hit that tackle circuit and we pay attention to our leverage tackles and being aggressive.”
The bigger response, though, came after USC’s 24-7 loss to Wisconsin, when the noise around the program grew louder. Questions about toughness, Lincoln Riley’s job security and the Trojans’ fading playoff hopes all swirled at once. Johnson said the way the team handled that stretch mattered.
“I definitely say our edge and our camaraderie. Staying together and not turning on each other when things go bad,” Johnson said about the team.
“Just keeping that brotherhood, because this week has been about us and our standard. Once we focus on that off the field, then it'll just come together on the field.”
Johnson also credited second-year cornerbacks coach T-Reed for helping him sharpen the details of his game.
“T-Reed, he stays the same throughout it all. Real solid guy so he doesn't really change up at all. Same intensity, same edge, same attention to detail and it doesn't change,” Johnson said about the second-year cornerbacks coach.
“I definitely say off the field, as watching film, being able to recognize splits and tendencies from receivers,” Johnson said when asked how Reed has helped him grow as a player.
“Great… You have a bad rep here and there and he's just always the positive guy coming in your ear, making sure you got that next-play mentality with that veteran experience he has.”
Johnson also sees a clear difference in how one teammate is developing.
“100 percent. He looks way more gifted. He looks way more comfortable out there.”
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