USC may be headed into Saturday’s showdown with Oregon at the Coliseum without two key pieces in the secondary.
Nickel Alex Graham left the Trojans’ 42-35 Week 3 win over Rutgers with an injury in the first half and spent the entire second half on the sideline with his helmet on. Cornerback Jontez Williams, the transfer portal addition USC targeted hard this offseason, also dealt with an issue against the Scarlet Knights and spent much of the second half on the bike, in the medical tent and trying to loosen up on the sideline.
Their absences were felt immediately. USC’s secondary had a rough time holding up without them, and the timing is less than ideal with Oregon coming in. The Ducks don’t have a receiver on the level of Rutgers’ KJ Duff, but they do bring more firepower at quarterback with Dante Moore, plus enough weapons to make life difficult even with Jeremiah McClellan out.
On Monday’s Trojans Live, Lincoln Riley said both players “have some things that they're dealing with that they're pushing through,” and he said he hopes to have them back right away.
USC has typically taken a careful approach with injured players, so both Graham and Williams will be worth watching closely all week.
If Graham can’t play, Kennedy Urlacher would be the next man up at nickel. Urlacher brings aggression and downhill speed, and he leads the team in sacks, but his pass coverage has already been a problem early this season.
Isaiah Rubin is the backup, though he has had his own issues in cleanup duty. Freshman Peyton Dyer is another possibility.
At corner, Chasen Johnson has started all four games so far. He had been solid until an uneven outing against Rutgers, while freshman Rock Hill has rotated in every week. Hill was briefly checked on late in the Rutgers game but did not miss meaningful time, and he would be the likely starter opposite Johnson if Williams is unable to go against Oregon.
USC also has Marcelles Williams available. He started 11 games last season, and RJ Sermons is another option.
Safety Christian Pierce briefly left the Rutgers game in the third quarter after delivering a hard hit on Duff, but he returned quickly. Depth behind him and Prophet Brown is thin, though, and that makes the injury situation even more delicate. Backups Madden Riordan and Dee Reddick both sat out last week with injuries, and their status for this week remains unclear.
Marquis Gallegos came back in Week 2 after missing the first two games, but he has mostly been a special teams contributor and has played only limited defensive snaps. Trestin Castro was forced into action against Rutgers and struggled in his first real extended college action.
For USC, the simplest answer is the most obvious one: the pass rush has to help cover for a secondary that’s been battered for the first month of the season. That didn’t happen in Week 3.
Through four games, the Trojans’ starting defensive line has just 1.5 sacks combined. For a unit the program invested heavily in, that number is a problem. USC needs to find a way to get to Moore, who has struggled when pressured during his time with the Ducks.
In Other News...
USC Now Faces A Different Oregon Offense Than Expected
Oregons passing game took an unexpected turn before its meeting with Portland State, when junior wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan broke his foot in warmups and was ruled out indefinitely. The injury forced the Ducks to adjust on the fly, and freshman Messiah Hampton filled some of the opening with 71 receiving yards and two touchdowns, giving Oregon a different look than the one USC likely spent part of the week preparing for.
The matchup now brings another wrinkle for the Trojans, because Oregon is also expected to have tight ends Kendre Harrison and Jamari Johnson available for the upcoming game. With McClellan sidelined and Hampton suddenly in a bigger role, USC has to account for an offense that is already shifting in real time, and the Ducks may keep leaning on personnel groupings and targets that werent central to the original scouting report. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Just Added Pressure To Oregon In The Title Race
Oregon answered its loss to Oklahoma State the only way it could, burying Portland State in a record-setting 84-0 rout that looked more like a stress reliever than a tune-up. Even so, the Ducks did not fully repair the damage in the eyes of the oddsmakers, with multiple sportsbooks trimming their national championship odds as other contenders, including Ole Miss, kept stacking results that reshaped the early title picture.
For USC, the timing matters. The Trojans are set to see Oregon in Week 4, and that matchup now carries a little extra weight as the Ducks try to climb back in the College Football Playoff conversation. A win over a team still trying to steady its title hopes would give USC its own boost in the national discussion, while Oregon will be aiming to show the kind of response that sportsbooks and voters tend to notice. [Read more 🡒]
USC Offensive Line Gets An Early Chance To Expose Oregon Concern
Oregons eye-popping 84-point outing against Portland State grabbed the headlines, but the Ducks defensive front came out of that game with a few questions attached. They didnt record a sack and had limited tackles for loss, which is the sort of detail USC will notice quickly as it prepares for the matchup ahead. For a Trojan offensive line looking to set a tone, its an early opening to see how much resistance Oregon can actually create up front.
From USCs perspective, this is more than just another test on the schedule. The Trojans front has a chance to probe a unit that didnt consistently disrupt Portland State and force Oregon to prove it can hold up against a more physical attack. If USC can protect the pocket and win the line of scrimmage, it could turn a concern for the Ducks into a real edge for the Trojans when the game arrives. [Read more 🡒]