USC Coach Lincoln Riley Sees Massive Growth in Blue-Chip Recruit

USC cornerback Marcelles Williams comes from a family of Division I defensive backs. His father, Maxzell, played defensive back at Nevada, brother, Maxx, played safety at USC, and brother, Macen, played defensive back at Arizona State.

All of it helped pave the way for him to be a four-year starter at national powerhouse St. John Bosco (Calif.) and a blue-chip recruit in the 2024 cycle.

Marcelles Williams Continues Upwards Trend in Spring Practice

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Marcelles Williams Transfer Portal Spring Practice Elbert Hill RJ Sermons Recruiting Injury Update — Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before an NCAA football game with the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Williams quickly made an impression on the veterans and the Trojans coaching staff in the spring of 2024. However, he redshirted after playing just nine snaps in his first season in a senior heavy room at cornerback.

Heading into the 2025 season, Williams was part of a heated cornerback battle. He worked as a reserve the first two games before earning his first career start in week 3 against Purdue and never relinquished his job.

His progression was on display in USC’s week 10 win over Nebraska in early November when he played a pivotal role on defense in their comeback victory. His pass breakup late in the third quarter against Iowa in week 12 led to a Jahkeem Stewart interception and helped complete another comeback victory.

Williams certainly has some competition heading into the 2026 season to hold onto his starting position with transfer portal additions and a talented group of young players.

But there’s always going to be competition at that position as the Trojans continue to emphasize it in recruiting. The only thing Williams can control is his own progression. USC coach Lincoln Riley had some lofty admiration for Williams following Tuesday's practice.

“Marcelles has improved a lot,” Riley said. “I think this stretch of practice is the best ball that he's played. He's getting stronger and faster, and his body is just continuing to mature. Really liked what we've seen out of him."

With Iowa State transfer Jontez Williams and Chasen Johnson still recovering from season-ending knee injuries they suffered early last season, Marcelles Williams is the oldest player on the field at the position. He’s been more vocal this spring, coaching up younger guys during individual drills and is continuing to blossom under cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed in his third year with the program.

Lincoln Riley Encouraged by Cornerback Room

The Trojans have signed a handful of blue-chip cornerbacks over the past several recruiting cycles and the talent is starting to show itself.

Elbert “Rock” Hill was one of the prized recruits in the 2026 class. ESPN rated him as their No. 1 cornerback and the Ohio native continues to shine this spring. He's making a strong push to see the field in his first season on campus.

“Rock has had some really nice plays early on,” Riley said. “He really is aggressive in terms of having a feel for making plays on the ball at that position. Some corners are out there just to cover, and some guys are out there actually trying to really make plays on the ball.”

Freshman Brandon Lockhart, a Los Angeles native and four-year starter at Loyola (Calif.) and Sierra Canyon (Calif.), drew some praise from the Trojans head coach as well on Tuesday.

“Lockhart has taken some really nice reps,” Riley said. “We've been excited about some of his progress.”

Redshirt freshman RJ Sermons, freshman Jayden Crowder and Oklahoma State transfer Carrington Pierce present their own skill sets and are pushing for playing time this fall.

“We're playing a lot of different people at those positions right now,” Riley said. “We're trying to move guys around, kind of see what we have at those different positions, but it's a good group. Obviously we're gonna get a couple guys back off injury when we get to fall, which will add to the competition level. But so far so good, there's several guys that are very competitive. We're able to interchange them quite a bit right now.”

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