USC Trojans Make the Cut for Coveted Santa Margarita Defensive Back Recruit

One four-star defensive back recruit out of Santa Margarita announced his top 12 choices, and the USC Trojans are among his favorites.

Aug 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the San Jose State Spartans in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

USC’s push to strengthen their secondary received some good news on Aug. 27 with the reveal of sought-after recruit Ca’ron "Prime" Williams’ top 12 choices. On3's Hayes Fawcett announced the list on X.

The Santa Margarita (Calif.) junior listed the Trojans among his top choices with the likes of LSU, Washington, UCLA, Texas, California, Texas A&M, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, and Oklahoma. He previously held 25 offers, according to 247 Sports.

Aug 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley head coach Lincoln Riley Lincoln Riley Riley enters the field before the game against the San José State Spartans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NEWS: Four-Star CB Ca’ron Williams is down to 12 Schools, a source tells @Rivals

He’s ranked as the No. 1 CB in California in the 2028 Rivals Industry Rankingshttps://t.co/uQZ2LtpiFy pic.twitter.com/57FSA7UY6B

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 27, 2026

“I like all 12 of those schools honestly,” Williams told On3’s Greg Biggins. “The ones I’m feeling the most are probably Oregon, USC, Notre Dame, Miami, LSU, and Ohio State. I’m going to be taking game-day visits to all of those schools and just working out the dates right now.”

Listed at 5-11, 170 pounds, Williams is a four-star recruit and ranked No. 17 among corner backs and 171 nationally in the class of 2028, per 247 Sports Composite.

USC Favored to Land Williams

Williams has completed one of two scheduled game day visits to USC. The first came this past Saturday when No. 14 USC defeated San José State 42-26 in their season opener.

He joined a big group of highly coveted local prospects by Lincoln Riley. Among them were four-stars Derrick Coleman Jr., Jalen Flowers, and Jordan Hicks and five-star commit Trey Wright.

USC has a slight advantage over Williams. Santa Margarita’s head coach Carson Palmer and offensive coordinator Lenny Vandermade both played with the Trojans and Williams grew up a USC fan. He also sustains a great relationship with cornerback coach Trovon Reed and is a high priority for USC.

Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer waves to the crowd after his Ring of Honor induction ceremony during halftime against the Seattle Seahawks September 29, 2019. Seahawks Vs Cardinals | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Williams revealed to Biggins that he will return to USC for a second game day visit on Halloween when they host No. 1 Ohio State. This game could serve as a deciding factor in his decision making down the line.

A Taste of What Williams Brings to the Table

On Friday night, Santa Margarita faced off against favored Corona (Calif.) Centennial and Williams got the best of the Huskies with a game-deciding 30-yard pick six.

Since his time as a freshman, when colleges began to notice his talent, Williams has tormented Corona Centennial’s offense.

Santa Margarita (Calif.) 2028 four-star cornerback Ca'ron "Prime" Williams | Kendell Hollowell @Khollowell_

Of Williams’ six career interceptions, five have come against the Huskies. He had three just in his sophomore year alone when the Eagles played the Huskies twice, a regular season overtime matchup and clash in the CIF-Southern Section Div. 1 championship. In the regular season matchup, Williams came away with two interceptions.

Corona Centennial erased a 14-0 deficit in Friday’s matchup and tied the game before William’s third quarter pick six quickly gave the Eagles back their lead.

The Huskies fought back with a fourth quarter score but had their PAT blocked and Santa Margarita escaped with a 21-20 win over the No. 4 team in the Super 25.

Williams is 4-0 now against Corona Centennial and keep in mind, this won’t be the last time the Huskies face off against the corner.

While the class of 2028 holds just one commit from Wright, getting the high-end local talent like Williams could booster the strength of Riley’s recruiting class.

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