USC Trojans Cornerback Chasen Johnson Shares Injury Update

USC Trojans redshirt sophomore cornerback Chasen Johnson continues to progress as he recovers from a season-ending knee injury that has sidelined him since September.

Johnson shared a video on his Instagram story this week that showed him backpedaling and breaking on the Trojans practice field.

Chasen Johnson's Rehab Process

USC Trojans Recruiting Transfer Portal Trovon Reed Jontez Williams Chasen Johnson Spring Practice Injury Report Update — 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

Johnson was a big addition to the roster during the spring transfer portal window last season when he decided to follow cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed over from UCF, where Johnson started four games as a true freshman under Reed in 2024. Johnson was expected to compete for a starting role this past season but a knee injury the second week of fall camp kept him out through the season opener.

Johnson made his USC debut in week 2 against Georgia Southern and played 13 snaps. He played 21 snaps the following week against Purdue but ended up undergoing season-ending surgery on his lingering knee injury. Johnson has been out for an extended period of time, but Reed has been with him every step of the way through his rebab process.

“He's still a young player, and his best football is still in front of him,” Reed said in February. “I just make sure I remind him of that every day as he goes through rehab and gets his knee back to normal because it can be repetitive, right? You can get lazy. You can get lackadaisical, doing the same things over and over. But I also remind him over and over our plans before he stepped foot on this campus.

“Chasen has big goals and big dreams, and the goal is still the same, he wants to be a first round pick. So we got to do first round things so you can come back. You got to do first round stuff in rehab. I remind him that every day. The bar is set in his own head for him, and you don't want it any other way. As a coach, you shouldn't want it more than a player, he really loves the game.”

Johnson is expected to be cleared in the summer and will join a heated cornerback competition. So will Iowa State transfer cornerback Jontez Williams, who is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in late September.

Williams posted his own video this week that showed him going through movements at the Pro Sports Institute in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Other USC Injury News

USC coach Lincoln Riley revealed earlier this week that Waymond Jordan will be out the rest of spring after he underwent a clean-up procedure on the same ankle that ended his season against Michigan on Oct. 11.

Tight ends Tucker Ashcraft and Walter Matthews are both on scooters after undergoing a foot procedure during spring break last week. Riley expects both of them to be back this summer. Freshman receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt has a soft tissue injury that has kept him out this week, but Riley does expect him to return at some point before the end of spring ball.

Freshman running back Deshonne Redeaux and redshirt sophomore safety Marquis Gallegos were both banged up going into the break and still remain out.

On a positive note, defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart practiced for the first time this spring on Tuesday. The Freshman All-American dealt with a stress fracture in his foot for the entirety of last season and underwent surgery prior to the Alamo Bowl in late December. Safety Christian Pierce is still rehabbing from his offseason shoulder surgery but was seen doing light work with defensive coordinator Gary Patterson this week.

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