Gary Patterson Implementing One Position Change on USC's Defense

With the rise of pass-heavy and spread offenses, the nickel spot has become a premium position in football and a staple of great defenses.

The last two Super Bowl-winning teams had game-changing players at nickel in the Philadelphia Eagles’ Cooper DeJean and the Seattle Seahawks’ Nick Emmanwori, both of whom happened to be rookies and instantly upgraded those defenses.

Other players, including the Baltimore Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton, Los Angeles Chargers’ Derwin James, Detroit Lions' Brian Branch and Houston Texans’ Jalen Pitre play in systems that maximize their versatility and allow them to thrive in those hybrid roles.

The Importance of the Nickel Position

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Recruiting Transfer Portal Skyler Jones Alex VanSumeren Jahkeem Stewart Jide Abasiri Spring — USC Trojans defensive coordinator Gary Patterson | USC Trojans on SI

All of those guys have something in common. They’re high IQ players that are incredibly instinctive and have a nose for the football and serve as a defensive chess piece. They can matchup in man coverage, have a great feel and understanding of route concepts in zone coverage and are active around the line of scrimmage in run support. The nickel or star position serves as a third linebacker, cornerback and safety to defend against the run and combat three receiver sets.

It’s no different for USC. The Trojans will continue to run a 4-2-5 defense under new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson and the nickel will be asked to play a vital role.

“Everybody has their kind of twist on what that position can do for a defense,” said safeties coach/defensive pass game coordinator Paul Gonzales. “Coach [Patterson] was the first person I was with where that guy was like a jack-of-all-trades. We were going to ask him to do a little bit of everything. He was going to have to cover, he was playing the run fit, he was going to be a blitzer. We even have times where he's playing deep. It's a position that requires a lot of football instincts and can control the game from that spot.

“College game is played on hashes, so there's always a short side field and a wide side of the field. The NFL games always in the middle. But because we can take advantage of certain things off the formation or off of where the ball's at, that nickel spot is crucial to our success. Super excited about working with those guys and continuing to pour into them. All of them have great attitudes and have worked really hard.”

A great nickel can impact defensive fronts based on their alignment and ultimately play a large role in the direction a defense is ran because they are asked to wear multiple hats.

Gonzales coaches the entire backend of the defense, but because the nickel position will play such an important part of their success, the Trojans also hired Sam Carter, a former All-American safety that played under Patterson and Gonzales at TCU, to be a full-time nickels coach. A coaching position USC has not had in previous years.

Budding Star in the Secondary

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Gary Patterson Spring Practice Early Enrollee Paul Gonzales Recruiting Alex Graham Sam Carter — USC Trojans redshirt freshman defensive back Alex Graham | USC Trojans on SI

Redshirt freshman defensive back Alex Graham was a massive pickup for the Trojans 2025 recruiting class when they flipped him from Colorado on National Signing Day.

The Detroit native was a standout last spring and was projected to start heading into the fall before he suffered an injury ahead of the season opener that kept him out of the lineup for an extended period of time. Graham returned after the teams first bye week in early October but did not see much playing time until mid-November when a pair of injuries in the secondary thrusted him into the starting lineup.

Each week Graham gained more and more game reps. His confidence and comfortability with the college game grew and so did his impact. The former four-star gained valuable experience, appearing in five games and was still able to redshirt.

This spring, Graham is noticeably bigger than when he walked off the field in the Alamo Bowl in December. The impact of strength coach Trumain Carroll has been felt since his arrival last summer and Graham is a perfect example.

“Alex has a great work ethic. He’s got a pro approach," Gonzales said. "I like being around that every day. I'm just excited for him and his development, what we've done so far and how we can continue to build that this summer.”

Redshirt sophomore Isaiah Rubin had an excellent spring and freshman Peyton Dyer is an incredibly versatile player that can play any spot in the secondary and will provide depth at the nickel position.

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