USC’s Most Underrated Defensive Player From Spring Football

Cornerback is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing position battles for the USC Trojans.

USC has returning production, transfer portal additions and a talented group of freshmen at the position. But one name to keep an eye on is redshirt freshman RJ Sermons.

RJ Sermons Develops Behind the Scenes

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Recruiting Reclassify RJ Sermons Five Star Elbert Hill Injury Trovon Reed Trumain Carroll Spring — Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Before he reclassified, Sermons was as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 cornerback in the 2026 cycle. Instead of playing his senior season, Sermons chose to enroll in late July.

The Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) prospect got a head start on his development and was able to work with cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed and strength coach Trumain Carroll five months earlier.

This past season, Sermons did not take a single snap but USC kept him engaged throughout the season. He traveled to road games and went through the normal pregame routine to get acclimated to the college environment.

All of it was strategic so that when this spring rolled around, Sermons could hit the ground running.

“That kid has grown up so much,” Reed said during his spring press conference in February. “He went from a boy to man in just a few months. This is a young man who just now supposed to be arriving here. Skipped his whole senior year. For him to do that and take that risk, hats off to him because a lot of people can’t do what he did."

“He's a young man who who's determined to get on that field this year, and it's shown in his work ethic, the questions he asking, he’s so much more mature than when he first arrived and he should be. My goal is to continue to get him to grow, not just on the field, but off the field and continue to make him a young man.”

Sermons is a legacy at USC. His father, Rodney, was a running back for the Trojans from 1994-97. Enrolling a year early also allowed him to join the program with his older brother, Cameron, who a redshirt freshman receiver.

Depth in Cornerback Room

On the field, Sermons' work with Carroll behind the scenes is evident. He is noticeably bigger this spring than when arrived last summer. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Sermons is a technician at the position but also has elite speed.

He’s a talented sprinter, posting times of 10.30 in the 100m and 20.88 in the 200m as a junior in high school, both were the second-best times in California for in the 2025 track season. Sermons won the CIF Division 1 Championship in both events.

Sermons is moving confidently and is making his case to either be part of the two-deep or earn a starting role this fall.

The local product is taking advantage of the extra reps he’s receiving with Jontez Williams and Chasen Johnson out this spring, as they both continue to recover from season-ending knee injuries they suffered last September.

There is a ton of talent in the cornerback room. Marcelles Williams started 11 games last season and freshman Rock Hill has been making noise this spring. Freshman Jayden Crowder is also in the mix. It’s a position battle that is likely to continue into the regular season. USC opens the season with three Group of Five opponents, which will allow them to evaluate players in a game setting.

SIGN UP FOR THE USC TROJANS NEWSLETTER HERE!