Why USC Trojans Freshman Alex Graham Will Make Immediate Impact in D'Anton Lynn's Defense

Freshman defensive back Alex Graham was a last minute add to the USC Trojans recruiting class and has proven to be a crucial one. The former four-star recruit has been impressive in D'Anton Lynn's defense and is in line to start as a true freshman.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

LOS ANGELES -- The USC Trojans made a strong push last summer to flip Class Technical (Mich.) four-star cornerback Alex Graham, who had announced his pledge to Colorado in the spring. They hosted him for an official visit, but Graham remained committed to the Buffs.

However, the Trojans never stopped pursuing the Detroit native. Michigan also made a strong to push in the fall to keep one of their state's top prospects from leaving, but ultimately it was USC that was able to flip Graham on the first day of the early signing period in December.

True Freshman Starter

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Graham was a late add to the Polynesian Bowl in early January but wasted no time making a name for himself against some of the top high school talent in the country. He created plenty of buzz after a strong week of practice in Hawaii and there was a strong belief that he would earn significant playing in his first season on campus. He was one of 15 signees from the Trojans 2025 class to take part in spring ball.

Graham continued to make a push during fall camp to be part of the two-deep depth chart. He even ran with the starters at times, but a significant injury to redshirt senior Prophet Brown in the second week of practice will cost him the first half of the season, according to Lincoln Riley, which means it will more than likely be Graham who starts this fall.

USC released its official depth chart for week one on Wednesday, but its laid out for a standard 4-3 defense and does not include Graham or even the nickel position at all. At this point, it would be shocking if it's not Graham that is first nickel on the field Saturday night against Missouri State.

"We feel confident in him, as far as trusting that he knows what to do, but also his ability that he can go out there with the ones," said USC defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn.

Importance of Nickel Position

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (33) celebrates after returning an interception for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The nickel position has become a very important role on any defense. Just ask the Philadelphia Eagles what a difference having Cooper DeJean on the field makes. Or the Detroit Lions, who found a gem in the second round a couple of years ago in Brian Branch. Or the Denver Broncos, who just used a first-round pick in this year's draft to select former Texas standout Jahdae Barron.

All three of those guys have something in common with Graham, position flexibility. Nickel will be Graham's primary spot in the fall, but he can also play safety. And that is required with the position.

The nickel has multiple roles. They must be able to cover like a cornerback in the slot, sometimes playing on an island against the opposing team's fastest player and physical in the run fits like a safety and are constantly used in blitz packages.

Impressive Fall Camp

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during a time out against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Lynn has not been shy about offering some praise for his freshman defensive back. He even compared Graham's intangibles to another star on his defense.

"He’s a high IQ guy. He’s not interested in just what he does. He wants to know everything around him. He’s very similar to Kamari [Ramsey] in that sense. He’s just young.”

Graham has made an impression on several veterans, including sophomore tight end Walker Lyons, who mentioned Graham as someone that was a standout very early on in camp and redshirt senior DJ Harvey.

“Very confident in what he does," Harvey said. "For him to be so young, I can respect that he does a lot of things that a normal freshman wouldn't do. He'll make plays like that you wouldn't expect an 18-year-old to make. He been making plays all camp, so I just been happy for him."

Cornerback Depth Chart

Oct 19, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Southern California Trojans cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson (17) warms cup before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Not much of a surprise but Harvey and DeCarlos Nicholson were listed as starters in the Trojans first official depth of the season. Harvey spoke on Wednesday about what he’s seen from his running mate in camp. 

“He was very consistent making huge plays in camp, especially in one on ones, to everything that he was doing in camp,” Harvey said. “It was just like getting him to where he is at right now. I think he's at a leap level right now. So we're gonna need that this Saturday.”

Redshirt freshmen Braylon Conley and Marcelles Williams were listed as the two backups. Riley has spoken highly of the Trojans two young cornerbacks and the strides they’ve made in their second season on campus. 

Redshirt sophomore Kevin Longstreet, the older brother of freshman quarterback Husan Longstreet, is third at both cornerback spots. 

Notably missing is sophomore cornerback Chasen Johnson, who transferred from UCF in the spring. He was brought in to compete for a starting job, but has been out for most of camp. 

Oct 26, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Central Florida Knights cornerback Chasen Johnson (27) is flagged for pass interference against Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Chase Roberts (2) in the first half at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images | Russell Lansford-Imagn Images

Lynn said last week that Johnson would be returning this week. However, because the media is not allowed to view practice heading into the opener, and the coaches did not specify when speaking with reporters, his game status is unknown. 

The Trojans signed two blue-chip cornerbacks in the 2025 cycle in five-star RJ Sermons and four-star Trestin Castro. 

Sermons was the No. 1 ranked cornerback in the 2026 class but reclassified to the 2025 class over the summer. While far from a finished product, Sermons has made an impression on veterans. Nicholson talked on Wednesday about what stands out from Sermoms. 

“How quickly he picks up the coaching and able to translate it and get better and get what coach wants him to do,” Nicholson said. “I think that's the best part and he's just willing to learn.”