USC Football: Scouting Future Trojan Cornerback Marcelles Williams
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA) cornerback Marcelles Williams committed to USC back in June. According to 247Sports, Williams is one of the top 80 players in the class of 2024, the 5th-best prospect in California, and the 6th-best cornerback in the country. He measures up at 5-11 180-pounds and plays for one of the best high school football programs in the country in St. John Bosco.
He faces some of the best competition that high school football has to offer and is asked to guard some of the best receivers in the country. We took a look at his junior season highlight tape to better understand how soon Williams may be able to make an impact for the Trojans.
Williams has an excellent burst and plays with elite anticipation. He’s got the ability to play on the line of scrimmage as a press corner, and also off the ball. He has excellent hip mobility and can turn and run with some of the best wide receivers in the country.
Williams is fantastic in coverage, but he’s also got solid football instincts as well. He sees the whole field and is great at running downhill to support the perimeter run defense as well. He’s a willing tackler and displayed great technique when wrapping up ball carriers. Also plays the bubble and tunnel screen well in part due to his ability to quickly recognize what the offense is trying to him.
It's hard to tell how quickly Williams will be able to contribute to the USC defense. But, given how horrible the Trojan defense was last season and how elite the receivers were Williams was asked to cover in high school, it might be sooner rather than later that Williams sees playing time in the defensive secondary. Perhaps he proves himself as a tackler on special teams in year one, and becomes a staple in the Trojan secondary by year two.
Williams is one of 18 recruits currently committed to USC’s 2024 recruiting class. The Trojans 2024 recruiting class is currently ranked 18th in the country, according to 247Sports.
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