USC’s fall camp in the secondary is turning into one of those jobs-open, jobs-available stretches that can reshape a depth chart fast.
At safety, Prophet Brown looks like he’s moving into a major role after missing last season because of a significant lower body injury early in fall camp. Brown was supposed to start at nickel a year ago, but that injury wiped out his season before it really began.
Now back for his sixth season, he brings 39 career games of experience and has shifted to safety in the spring. He is trending toward a starting spot next to senior Christian Pierce, who started nine games last season.
That leaves a lively fight for the other spots, and junior Kennedy Urlacher is right in the middle of it. Urlacher started opposite Pierce for the final three games last season after All-American safety Bishop Fitzgerald was injured in week 12 and finished his year.
This fall, Urlacher has been taking reps at nickel. He plays with the kind of energy that fits closer to the line of scrimmage, while Brown’s coverage ability gives USC a different look next to Pierce.
Urlacher’s competition at nickel is Alex Graham, who took over as a true freshman last season after Kamari Ramsey was injured in the same game as Urlacher. Graham has also been getting reps at safety. The Detroit native is viewed as a versatile player with a high football IQ, and there’s plenty of excitement around him after what he showed late last season.
Behind Pierce and Brown, the safety race is crowded. Sophomore Dee Reddick, redshirt sophomore Marquis Gallegos and freshman Madden Riordan are all in the mix.
Reddick played in 11 games last season mostly on special teams and as a reserve at nickel. The Georgia native was thrust into action against Illinois and posted a career-high 29 snaps. He also moved to safety in the spring and has had a strong fall camp.
Gallegos appeared in 13 games last season, again mostly as a special teams player, and later served as the team’s No. 3 safety after Fitzgerald’s injury.
Riordan entered USC in January with the idea that he would probably be a contributor in 2027 and beyond, mostly because he was around 155 pounds. That changed once spring ball hit.
The freshman from Sierra Canyon kept doing what he had done all four years there: forcing turnovers. He earned praise from Lincoln Riley and safeties coach Paul Gonzales, then showed up to camp at 180 pounds and kept making plays.
His knack for changing games is hard to miss.
Cornerback has its own battle brewing, and it got more interesting with the return of Iowa State transfer Jontez Williams and Chasen Johnson. Both missed the rest of last season after knee injuries ended their years in September. Williams arrived with the reputation of the No. 1 corner in the portal and was expected to step in right away.
Marcelles Williams, who started 11 games last season as a redshirt freshman, is not giving that spot up without a fight. Redshirt freshman RJ Sermons and freshman Elbert "Rock" Hill are also in the mix, and Trovon Reed has called it an open competition. It sounds like one that could stretch deep into the season before USC sorts it all out.
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