USC’s cornerback room has two players walking a very similar road back to full strength, and both Jontez Williams and Chasen Johnson say the grind of rehab got easier because they weren’t doing it alone.
Williams arrived at USC at the start of the year still working his way back from a season-ending knee injury suffered last September. Johnson was already in the same fight after his own significant knee injury ended his season last September. The repetition, the slow days and the frustration that can come with a long rehab process were part of both of their journeys, but the shared experience helped keep them moving.
“He always kept his head up. We was able to feed off each other and push each other while we was rehabbing and getting back,” Williams said.
“And then once we were back out there, we was just working hard each and every day. The way we meshed and how we just pushed each other in the weight room and on the field drills and different things like that.”
Johnson said the recovery wasn’t a straight line, even if his natural demeanor kept him moving forward.
“I'm not gonna sit here and act like it's perfect. It's definitely ups and downs to it,” Johnson said at USC Media Day.
“Some days you feel like you're down, some days you feel like you're doing good, but I feel like I climbed that hill somewhere around the middle of my recovery, and I got around that corner. Ever since that, I've been going up.”
Now both corners are fully healthy in fall camp, and they’re trending toward being USC’s two starters at the position this season.
For cornerbacks, getting back from a knee injury comes down to more than just being medically cleared. It’s about explosion, speed and the ability to break and cut without thinking twice. The real test is when the knee stops being part of the conversation in the player’s head.
“I'm pretty much at that point now,” Williams said. “I didn’t no regrets, no doubts when I’m out there playing. I’m just playing freely and getting that feeling back.”
That’s showing up in the way he’s moved and competed in camp. Williams looks like the same player who earned All-Conference honors in 2024 and entered this past portal cycle as the No. 1 cornerback available.
The expectations are heavy in his lone season with the Trojans. Williams has already picked up Preseason All-American recognition, and his goals stretch beyond USC with the NFL on his mind.
Outside the field, he’s had a steady source of support in his father, Andrew Williams, who played defensive end at Miami in the early 2000s before being selected in the third round by the San Francisco 49ers in 2003. The two talk every day.
“Sometimes it just be random talk, just checking in on me, seeing how I'm doing and stuff like that. It's never about just football,” Williams said.
In Other News...
USC Practice Just Raised Two Big Questions About This Team
USCs 12th practice of camp brought the kind of energy coaches usually love to see in August, with the Trojans working at a high intensity while continuing to build the kind of habits that matter once the season starts. Lincoln Riley said the running game and the defensive front seven drew his attention, and the defense has stood out enough in practice to make that unit one of the more interesting parts of camp. Even with Kilian OConnor sidelined by a season-ending injury, he remains around the program in a leadership and mentoring role, which has helped keep the group connected.
The other notable wrinkle has been a new effort to make practice feel less like practice, with USC testing a surround-sound crowd-noise setup on the fields to force better communication and cut down on mistakes. Special teams has its own unresolved issue as well, with Ryon Sayeri and Caden Chittenden still competing for the kicking job. The Trojans do at least have one part of that picture settled for now, even if the rest of the decision remains open. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Still Has Time To Make A Push For Trey Wright
A key quarterback target in the 2028 cycle is nearing the end of his recruitment, and USC is firmly in the mix. Three-star quarterback Trey Wright has drawn offers from Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, along with Oregon, Arizona, Kentucky and SMU, a group that underscores how widely he is being tracked as his college decision comes into focus.
Wright plans to reveal his commitment on Saturday, giving each program one last chance to make its case before the picture clears. For USC, the timing matters because Riley has taken a selective approach at the position, and Wright could end up being the Trojans quarterback addition for that class if the recruitment breaks their way. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Faces A Risky USC Kicker Decision Before Week 1
USCs special teams picture is still taking shape as fall camp winds down, with Lincoln Riley keeping the competition between Caden Chittenden and Ryon Sayeri very much alive. Both kickers have been tested hard throughout camp, and while Sayeri is set to handle kickoffs this season, the more pressure-packed field goal and PAT work remains unsettled as the Trojans head toward Week 1.
Chittenden stayed at USC and kept competing after losing the job to an injury last season, which has made this battle a little more layered than a simple open tryout. Riley has made it clear the staff wants answers before the games start counting, and for a team trying to avoid early-season special teams drama, the next few days could be a major sorting point. Outside the kicking competition, former Trojans Kamari Ramsey, Bishop Fitzgerald and Anthony Lucas also made their NFL preseason debuts, a reminder of how much USC talent is now trying to establish itself at the next level. [Read more 🡒]