Three Most Underrated Players on the USC Trojans Defense

The USC Trojans return several key starters from last season and bring in a stellar group of freshmen that can contribute immediately, but who are some underrated players on the Trojans defense returning from last season?

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley, center, runs on to the field for the game against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

USC will return at least one starter at every position on its defense in 2026. The Trojans were not incredibly active in the transfer portal, but they did sign players such as former Iowa State cornerback Jontez Williams and former Michigan State defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren to be immediate contributors. 

Southern Cal signed a massive recruiting class with several players that will compete for early playing time, but who are some returning players on the USC defense that are flying under the radar?

Floyd Boucard, Defensive Lineman 

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley, center, runs on to the field for the game against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

USC defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart garnered a lot of attention in the Trojans 2025 class and proved worthy of the hype. But there was another freshman defensive lineman that Lincoln Riley kept bringing up in the spring and it was Floyd Boucard. 

That carried over into fall camp, and it became very clear the former three-star recruit was going to be part of the rotation from day one. 

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Boucard appeared in nine games. A lower body injury against Michigan on Oct. 11 cost him a month of the season. He finished the year with 19 tackles, including two for loss and a sack. 

The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Boucard provides depth on the interior of the Trojans defensive front. It’s a position group that needs to improve in 2026. For Boucard and Stewart, they gained valuable live game experience that should pay dividends in their development.

Kennedy Urlacher, Safety 

Nov 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans cornerback Alex Graham (27) safety Christian Pierce (24) cornerback Decarlos Nicholson (17) and safety Kennedy Urlacher (28) celebrate after Iowa Hawkeyes turn the ball over on fourth down during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

USC added former Notre Dame safety Kennedy Urlacher, the son of Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, last spring to secure depth on the backend of its defense. 

Urlacher served as primarily a special teams contributor this past season until a pair of injuries at safety in the first half against Iowa on Nov. 15 thrusted him into the lineup. Urlacher forced a fourth down incompletion with under two minutes left to help USC secure a 26-21 win.  

He picked off Oregon quarterback Dante Moore in his first career start the next week. Urlacher tackles very well in space and comes downhill with bad intentions.

The rising junior is the favorite to start at safety opposite Christian Pierce. He gained valuable game reps the final month of the season, after almost exclusively playing special teams his first two seasons at the collegiate level. USC didn't add a safety during the singular transfer portal window.

Nickel Alex Graham could potentially move back to safety. Graham played safety against Michigan and then played both nickel and safety in the Alamo Bowl.

Chasen Johnson, Cornerback

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver Corey Smith (12) reaches for a ball in front of USC Trojans cornerback Chasen Johnson (21) during the first quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

USC wouldn’t have targeted Chasen Johnson twice in the transfer portal last season if they didn’t think highly of him. 

Johnson started four games during his freshman season at UCF under cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed in 2024. He was a favorite to start last season for the Trojans but a knee injury kept him out for majority of fall camp and the season opener.

Johnson made his USC debut the following week and but with that knee injury continuing to linger, his season was over at week 3. He returns in 2026 with something to prove. 

The cornerback competition will be one of the more intriguing ones in the spring and well into fall camp. Williams was the No. 1 ranked cornerback in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports. Marcelles Williams started 11 games last season as a redshirt freshman.

And then there's a surplus of young talent. RJ Sermons reclassified to the 2025 class late last summer to begin working with the Trojans staff, instead of playing his senior year. Elbert Hill is a five-star recruit in the 2026 cycle. Other notable names include Trestin Castro, a four-star recruit in the 2025 cycle and Brandon Lockhart, a four-star recruit in the 2026 cycle.