USC Coach Trovon Reed Reveals His Message to Chasen Johnson During Injury Recovery

USC Trojans cornerback Chasen Johnson missed almost entirety of his sophomore season with a knee injury. Cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed revealed the message he delivers to Johnson during the rehab process.

Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks on the field before a game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

USC was very high on cornerback Chasen Johnson last offseason. After initially committing to the Trojans during the winter transfer portal window, Johnson flipped to SMU a couple of days, before ultimately deciding to return to UCF. 

Johnson entered the portal again during the spring cycle and signed with USC, reuniting him with his cornerbacks coach from UCF, Trovon Reed, who joined the Trojans staff in January 2025. 

Chasen Johnson Attacks Rehab Process 

Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Johnson was expected to compete for a starting position, after appearing in 12 games, including starts in four of the last five games during his true freshman season with the Knights in 2024. 

However, a knee injuring he suffered early in fall camp kept him out through the season opener. Johnson saw action in week 2 and 3 but was sidelined for the rest of the season after re-aggravating the knee injury. 

It’s unclear whether or not Johnson is fully cleared for spring practice but Reed has been the redshirt sophomore with every step of the way through his rehab process. 

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“He's still a young player, and his best football is still in front of him,” Reed said. “I just make sure I remind him of that every day as he goes through rehab and gets his knee back to normal because it can be repetitive, right? You can get lazy. You can get lackadaisical, doing the same things over and over. But I also remind him over and over our plans before he stepped foot on this campus. 

“Chasen has big goals and big dreams and the goal is still the same, he wants to be a first round pick. So we got to do first round things so you got to come back. You got to do first round stuff in rehab. I remind him that every day. The bar is set in his own head for him, and you don't want it any other way. As a coach, you shouldn't want it more than a player, he really loves the game.”

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

Johnson has been working behind the scenes to get himself ready physically but has also committed to improving on the mental side of the game. 

“Him and Jontez [Williams] in my office the most,” Reed said. “When I show up in the morning to come in my own office, they already in there watching film. That shows me, these guys really love the game.”

Outlook of Cornerback Room for Spring Practice 

Nov 1, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Southern California Trojans cornerback Marcelles Williams (25) breaks up a pass to Nebraska Cornhuskers wide receiver Nyziah Hunter (13) during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Cornerback will be one of the more intriguing battles to watch this spring because of the great combination of veteran players and young talent. 

Iowa State transfer Jontez Williams has appeared in 32 games, including 19 starts in his career. He was a Second Team All-Big 12 selection in 2024 when he recorded four interceptions. Williams is also recovering from a season-ending knee injury. 

Marcelles Williams saw action in all 13 games last season, including starting the final 11 games. Sermons was a highly touted prospect in the 2025 cycle. Originally in the 2026 class, Sermons reclassified and arrived late in the summer. Trestin Castro was another blue-chip recruit in the 2025 class. 

Four-star Elbert Hill was the top-ranked cornerback, per ESPN’s rankings in the 2026 class. He is joined by local four-star Brandon Lockhart and three-stars Joshua Holland and Jayden Crowder. Carrington Pierce comes over from Oklahoma State.