USC Trojans Cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson Enters Transfer Portal

USC Trojans cornerbacks DeCarlos Nicholson entered the transfer portal on Sunday morning. He is the 22nd USC player to enter the portal. Nicholson is taking advantage of the extra season granted to former junior college players.

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

USC Trojans cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson has entered the transfer portal. Nicholson is the 22nd USC player to jump in the portal. He spent just one season with the Trojans after transferring from Mississippi State, where he appeared in 25 games.

Prior to that, Nicholson played two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He was ranked the No. 6 junior college prospect, according to 247Sports in the 2022 cycle. 

Nicholson appeared in all 13 games this season, including three starts. He registered 27 tackles and five pass breakups. The Petal, Mississippi native is taking advantage of the extra season granted to former junior college players but will be using it to play somewhere else next season. The transfer portal closed on Dec. 28, but as a presumed graduate transfer, Nicholson is not restricted to the portal windows.

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

USC has lost a ton of experience in the secondary. Cornerbacks Jaylin Smith, Jacobe Covington and John Humphrey have exhausted all of their eligibility, as did safeties Akili Arnold and Bryson Shaw. And safety Zion Branch entered the portal with his brother, Zachariah, both have since landed at Georgia. 

The Trojans have signed just two players in the secondary via the transfer portal, cornerback DJ Harvey from San Jose State, the godbrother and high school teammate of USC safety Kamari Ramsey. The Trojans star safety is the only returning starter in the secondary.

USC also signed safety Bishop Fitzgerald from NC State. Harvey and Fitzgerald will be plug-and-play starters. They bring much-needed experience, but the Trojans will turn have to turn to some young players in the secondary. 

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At cornerback, redshirt freshman Maliki Crawford has suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back years prior to the start of the season and has not appeared in any games. The former four-star recruit in the 2023 cycle flashed tremendous potential in spring practice with his 6-4 frame, and if he can stay healthy will certainly be an option for an extended role in 2025.

The Trojans signed a trio of cornerbacks in the 2024 cycle, including four-star Marcelles Williams, three-star Isaiah Rubin and three-star Braylan Conley. Williams, the St. John Bosco alum and younger brother of former USC defensive back Max Williams could be the leader in the clubhouse to step in opposite of Harvey. 

“He’s a confident kid,” Riley said last spring. “He’s been around this program a lot, and I think that’s helped him to come in, not really wide eyed and just ready to compete. From his family history, I think there’s probably an understanding of what it really takes at this level. I don’t think he’s shocked by that.”

USC also signed three more cornerbacks in the 2025 cycle, including four-star Trestin Castro, four-star Alex Graham and three-star James Johnson. Graham had a phenomenal week of practice at the Polynesian Bowl and appeared to be a player ready to compete for early playing time. The competition in the spring and fall camp will certainly be one to keep an eye on leading into the start of the 2025 season.

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