Christian Pierce Injury Update Raises Depth Concerns for USC Defense

LOS ANGELES - It was revealed on Friday that USC Trojans senior safety Christian Pierce underwent surgery this offseason and is out right now as the team finishes up winter workouts.

It was not specified whether or not Pierce would be out for the entirety of spring practice or the severity of the injury, so won’t speculate but it is something to monitor in the coming weeks.

Impact of Christian Pierce’s Injury

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Christian Pierce Gary Patterson Paul Gonzales Big Ten Injury Report Update Alex Graham Recruit — Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

With the Trojans suffering a pair of injuries at the nickel position in fall camp, safety Kamari Ramsey moved down to nickel in the teams base 4-2-5 defense.

Pierce saw action in all 13 games, including nine starts this past season. He totaled 64 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, three pass breakups, one sack and one interception.

And when Ramsey and Bishop Fitzgerald suffered injuries against Iowa on Nov. 15 that ultimately cost them the rest of the season, Pierce became the new vocal presence and leader of the backend. The transition was smooth because of Pierce’s experience in the program and being around two veterans.

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Ramsey and Fitzgerald are off to the NFL, so that role becomes permanent for Pierce. If, he is unable to go in the spring, he loses valuable on-field practice time. Defensive coordinator Gary Patterson spoke during his Friday press conference about the importance of communicating on defense and losing a key member of the secondary is big.

It’s also time valuable on-field time away from new secondary coach Paul Gonzales. Other than rehabbing, the mental side can become the central focus for Pierce in the spring.

Depth at the Safety Position

As of now, safety is a question mark because of what they have lost and depth concerns. The Trojans did not add a safety in the transfer portal.

Kennedy Urlacher also stepped in during the Iowa game and started the rest of the season alongside Pierce. Up until that point, the junior safety was primarily a special teams contributor.

The former Notre Dame transfer gained valuable experience and is the favorite to start alongside Pierce in the fall. Redshirt sophomore Marquis Gallegos saw limited action at safety but appeared in all 13 games on special teams. He’s a hyper-active player and a name to keep an eye on this spring.

Freshman Peyton Dyer is versatile chess piece in the secondary but safety is most likely the best position for him. Freshman Madden Riordan could end up mixing between nickel and safety.

Redshirt freshman Alex Graham stepped in at nickel at the end of the season because of Ramsey and Fitzgerald’s injuries. He mixed between playing both nickel and safety.

With Prophet Brown returning at nickel, after missing all of last season, that competition is one to monitor because of what it could mean for Graham’s role. Graham will play whichever position gets him on the field.

Impact of Christian Pierce’s Injury

Depth at the Safety Position

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