USC Trojans Defender Trestin Castro Practicing at New Position This Spring

Because of some injuries and depth questions, USC Trojans redshirt freshman cornerback Trestin Castro has started taking reps elsewhere in the secondary.

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during a time out against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

In addition to the loss of safeties Kamari Ramsey and All-American Bishop Fitzgerald to the NFL Draft, the USC Trojans have taken a hit at safety this spring. 

Christian Pierce is out this spring after undergoing shoulder surgery and Marquis Gallegos is hampered. The Trojans also chose not to sign a safety in the transfer portal. As a result, redshirt freshman cornerback Trestin Castro was taking reps at safety the second week of practice. 

Trestin Castro's Transition to Safety 

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during a time out against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Whether this is just a move for the spring in a trial basis or a permanent room will remain to be seen. 

Castro was a four-star recruit in the 2025 cycle. He appeared in two games this season during the Trojans blowout wins of Missouri State and Georgia Southern to open the season. 

The 6-foot-0, 180-pound Upland (Calif.) product was a ball hawk in high school with his receiver background. He will now work with new safeties coach Paul Gonzales. 

USC has loaded up in the secondary in recruiting over the past couple of cycles and added a few key cornerbacks in the transfer portal. It’s all about creating depth and maximizing the versatility in the backend of the defense, which means moving players around. 

The Trojans have allocated plenty of resources into their development with the hiring of Gonzales, nickels coach Sam Carter and retaining cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed. New defensive coordinator Gary Patterson has also been heavily involved with coaching the secondary. 

Depth in Safety Room

Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans safety Christian Pierce (24) hits Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price (24) during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Pierce started nine games last year at safety and junior Kennedy Urlacher started the final three games after injuries to Ramsey and Fitzgerald in mid-November ended their seasons. Those two are the favorites to start again in 2026 but depth behind them is a question mark. 

Prophet Brown, who returns for his sixth season after missing all of last season with a lower body injury, has been working at safety this spring. Brown has primarily been a nickel and corner in his career. Sophomore Dee Reddick was a key special teams contributor and reserve at nickel during his freshman season. He’s taking reps at safety this spring. 

Redshirt freshman Alex Graham is going to start at nickel but can also play safety. Freshman Peyton Dyer was viewed as a defensive chess piece in the 2026 cycle. He was rated as a cornerback, USC has him listed as a safety on the roster, but the Georgia native is working at nickel this spring. Freshman Madden Riordan is a player that can play nickel or safety.

Cornerback Room Outlook

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

Iowa State transfer Jontez Williams and redshirt sophomore Chasen Johnson will join the mix in fall camp as they recover from season-ending knee injuries they suffered early last season. 

Williams is the most experienced corner in the room and 247Sports rated him as the No. 1 player at the position in the portal this year. Johnson was a big addition in the portal last year and has experience playing under Reed at UCF in 2024. 

Redshirt sophomore Marcelles Williams started the final 11 games this past season. RJ Sermons, who was originally a five-star recruit in the 2026 class, enrolled late last summer after reclassifying and spent this past season developing behind the scenes.

Freshman Elbert “Rock” Hill, the top-ranked cornerback in the 2026 class, per ESPN, has drawn rave reviews since he stepped on campus. Brandon Lockhart adds great size to the room with his 6-foot-2 frame. 

Jayden Crowder was a late add to the class and the Santa Margarita (Calif.) product has also made an impression. Carrington Pierce, the younger brother of Christian, transferred from Oklahoma State this offseason. 

It’s a position battle that is picking up steam this spring and is very likely going to bleed into the regular season. 

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