USC Cornerback Marcelles Williams Speaks Openly on His Biggest Motivations

Playing defensive back is part of the family business for USC redshirt sophomore cornerback Marcelles Williams.

His father, Maxzell, played defensive back at Nevada, while his two older brothers, Max, played safety at USC and Macen, played defensive back at Arizona State.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Marcelles Williams St. John Bosco Recruiting Fall Camp National Championship Trovon Reed Big Ten — Nov 18, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during the first quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

“Me obviously being the youngest brother in the family, you're obviously gonna look up to like your older siblings," Williams said. "Always seeing them play DB, I wanted to be like them. I wanted to play DB. My brother went here. USC was my dream school. Looking up to my brothers, I feel like it brought me to this point and helped me grow into being here.”

Williams himself blossomed into a four-star recruit playing at national powerhouse St. John Bosco. He racked up the national accolades and won a national championship his junior season. The offers came pouring but when it came time to make a decision, the opportunity to play his hometown school was too good to pass up.

“It means everything to be able to play in front of my family, my friends,” Williams said. “Growing up, I was always a USC fan, so just being able to actually be out there in the Coli and put on the show for the fans, that’s honestly like a dream come true for me.”

Making Strides From Year Two to Year Three

After appearing in one game as a freshman, Williams was part of a heated cornerback competition last season. Three different corners started opposite of DeCarlos Nicholson for the first three games with Williams earning the nod in week 3 against Purdue. He never relinquished his spot and started 11 straight games.

His progression throughout was evident as his confidence grew. The player Williams was in November had significantly improved from what he was in September. His performance against Nebraska in early November was instrumental in a second-half comeback and his pass breakout against, which led to an interception against Iowa two weeks later, did the same.

“In the beginning of the season, it was my first couple of game situations," Williams said. "But towards the middle to end, I just felt like I kept progressing, and getting better."

With a full season under his belt, Williams feels like a completely different player than this time last season. He’s seen everything. He’s been challenged on the biggest stage.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Trovon Reed Spring Practice Leader Marcelles Williams Recruiting St. John Bosco Transfer Portal — USC Trojans redshirt sophomore cornerback Marcelles Williams | USC Trojans on SI

“Obviously, my first year, I didn't really play too much," Williams said. "My second year, I actually got to experience them big time moments, all the drives, fourth quarters, in-game situations. Getting that experience under my belt, getting used to the speed of the game, and certain things to look for in those big games.

“Played in the College Game Day game last year, so there's like a lot of things that just helps you grow and makes you be able to look forward to the next year because you've been in those situations, so you can build on whatever you did.”

In addition to making strides on the field, cornerback coach Trovon Reed challenged him to become a leader. A role that he has embraced heading into his redshirt sophomore season.

Intriguing Position Battle at Cornerback

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Recruiting Class Trovon Reed Danny Lang Mater Dei Aaryn Washington — USC Trojans cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed | @Khollowell_

Williams has plenty of competition in fall camp to hold onto his starting spot this season.

Iowa State transfer Jontez Williams was the No. 1 cornerback in the portal. Redshirt sophomore Chasen Johnson returns after a knee injury limited him to just two games in 2025. He played for Reed at UFC in 2024. RJ Sermons is a former five-star recruit that is vying for playing time in year two, while Elbert "Rock" Hill was the No. 1 cornerback according to ESPN in the 2026 class.

Williams is not running from competition, in fact he’s embracing it because at the end of the day, he knows it’s only going to make him better.

“You love the competition, being an athlete,” Williams said. “You love competing with different guys. Having different guys like Chase and Tez, Rock, different guys like that to push you, helps you be better. We're all pushing each other to be better. And having a coach like T-Reed who challenges us every day to be better, and I feel like that's really pushing us and really helping us to get where we want to go.”

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