USC Cornerback Marcelles Williams Embracing New Role for the Trojans

Safety Kamari Ramsey had been a strong vocal presence in the USC Trojans secondary for the past two seasons. He’s off to the NFL, along with first team All-American safety Bishop Fitzgerald and cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson.

It’s a ton of veteran experience that is gone, which means it’s time for new players to step into those leadership roles. Safety Christian Pierce became that guy when Ramsey and Fitzgerald went down for the rest of the year in mid-November.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Injury Report Kamari Ramsey Makai Lemon NFL Draft Marcelles Williams Spring Practice Trovon Reed — Sep 3, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the second half against the Rice Owls at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Pierce has been out this spring after undergoing shoulder surgery and redshirt sophomore cornerback Marcelles Williams has taken it upon himself to lead not just with his words but also with his actions.

“I feel like last year, towards the middle to the end of the season when I started playing more, I tried to take on that role a little bit,” Williams said on Trojans Live. “Tried to talk more, tried to be more of a leader towards the other guys. I feel like that just put me in a position to do it even more this year because there’s a lot of people that are probably going to be looking up to me, seeing how I do things.

“How I move, how I work everyday. As long as I do what I’m supposed to do, I lead them the right way and show them what to do, they can follow and we can get better and better every year.”

Williams was the first cornerback in line during individual drills this spring and the media got a good look at him coaching up a young room. He was the most experienced player in the secondary this spring and it’s part of him taking that next step as a key member of the program.

Year Two Under Trovon Reed

The Trojans made major changes to its defensive staff this offseason, most notably hiring defensive coordinator Gary Patterson.

Typically, when a new coordinator takes over, they will hire their own assistant coaches. And Patterson did, but USC also retained cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed, who joined the staff last January.

Reed has been instrumental in the programs recruiting surge over the past couple of cycles but his impact has also been felt on the field. Williams became a full-time starter in 2025 and his progression from month-to-month was evident. He can build upon that with Reed in 2026.

“That’s my dog, T-Reed," Williams said. "It’s my second year with him now and I feel like that first year he really helped me a lot and I feel like this year we know what my plan is for me to take that extra step to get better and really ball this year. He’s a really good coach.”

After playing nine snaps in 2024, Williams continued to feel more comfortable playing on an island the more game reps he got under his belt this past season.

“I feel like playing corner, the biggest thing you need to have is confidence," Williams said. "At the end of the day bad things are going to happen, mistakes are going to be made but are going to line up that next play and attack it the same way you did before.”

Iron Sharpens Iron

The expectation of attending a school with the pedigree of USC, is that practices can sometimes feel tougher than the games, depending on the opponent, because of the competitive environment and the amount of talent on the practice field.

For the past two seasons Williams faced Biletnikoff Award winner and future first round receiver Makai Lemon and future NFL receiver Ja’Kobi Lane in practice.

“For two straight years I’ve been going up against them. We made each other better every day," Williams said. "Sometimes they’ll get me, sometimes I’ll get them, but I feel like coming to USC those are some of the things you expect. You come here to be great, you come here to have those battles at practice."

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