USC got a welcome sight on the first weekend of fall camp: two cornerbacks who missed spring are back on the field and ready to go.
Lincoln Riley said Saturday that Jontez Williams and Chasen Johnson are both full go as the Trojans open camp, a boost for a secondary that figures to be a major storyline in Gary Patterson’s first season running the defense. Riley also said, “Everybody else, doing pretty well.
Some of our offseason surgery guys have recovered. Our guys that were limited or not particpating in spring are all back.
It's certainly good to have the whole roster out there working,”
Williams arrives in Los Angeles after three seasons with the Trojans in which he posted 67 total tackles and five interceptions. His 2025 season with the Cyclones ended after he tore the ACL in his right knee during Iowa State’s 39-14 win over the Arizona Wildcats on Sept.
27, 2025. Now healthy again, he enters camp as one of the biggest pieces in a USC secondary that has been up and down in recent years.
Johnson’s path back is similar. He was sidelined by a season-ending knee injury last September after logging just one total tackle in his first season with USC, which came in the Week 2 home game against the Georgia Southern Eagles. Before transferring to USC for the 2025 season, Johnson spent one year at UCF in 2024 and finished that season with 18 total tackles.
The Trojans also bring back several other important defensive backs. Marcelles Williams, Christian Pierce, and Prophet Brown are all back, with Pierce standing out as a player to watch. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior safety from Rancho Cucamonga, California, is coming off his best season at USC, when he put up 64 total tackles, one sack, and one interception and ranked among the defense’s top leaders.
Marcelles Williams is coming off his best season as a sophomore as well, finishing with 41 total tackles. Brown, meanwhile, gives USC a veteran presence in the back end. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound cornerback from Sacramento, California, has totaled 32 tackles in five seasons with the Trojans.
In Other News...
Lincoln Riley Just Offered USC Fans Their First Real 2026 Clue
USCs 2026 media day doubled as the opening bell for fall camp, with roughly 40 players and assistant coaches making the rounds as the Trojans started to take shape for the season. The conversations naturally leaned into the familiar August themes: team camaraderie, better recovery work, and the mental growth Rileys staff wants to see as camp gets underway.
Lincoln Riley also gave Trojans fans a long-view glimpse they can file away for later, even as the present still feels very much under construction. The day covered the usual camp checkpoints, but the bigger takeaway was that USC is entering the season with a lot still to be answered, from how the roster fits together to which jobs are going to settle in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Just Framed USCs Toughest Roster Decision Yet
Lincoln Riley spent part of his latest media availability dealing with a roster problem that is becoming the new normal across college football, and it is one USC now has to manage carefully. The Trojans are over the 105-player limit established after the House v. NCAA settlement, which means the staff is navigating not just depth chart decisions but the broader challenge of fitting an expanded roster model into a tighter framework.
Riley also pointed to the new NCAA five-for-five redshirt rule as a useful tool for handling that squeeze, since it gives programs more flexibility in keeping players engaged while protecting eligibility. On the field, he singled out running backs Waymond Jordan and King Miller as a duo with real upside, a reminder that even amid the paperwork and roster math, USC is still trying to sort out which players can give the offense its clearest edge. [Read more 🡒]
King Miller Gives USC A Run Game Fans Can Believe In
King Miller went from former walk-on to one of the more reliable pieces in USCs offense last season, and the Trojans are now banking on his growth becoming a bigger part of what they do on the ground. Thrust into the lineup because of injuries, Miller answered with 972 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025, then earned a scholarship and spent the offseason adding 15 pounds to help him hold up to a bigger load.
The challenge now is turning one breakout year into something more sustainable, especially with Waymond Jordan back healthy and ready to share the backfield. USC should have a real foundation up front, too, with all five starters back on an experienced offensive line, which gives the Trojans a chance to run the ball with more consistency than they have in a while. [Read more 🡒]