As the college football offseason continues, teams are putting together their rosters and doing whatever they can to make their programs the best they can. USC is bolstering its 2025 recruiting class by pulling from what was arguably the most talented and deepest group of 2026 cornerback commits in the country.
Four-star standout, RJ Sermons, who’s a local Rivals100 prospect out of Rancho Cucamonga High School, is officially reclassifying up a year and will now join the USC Trojans in July, as opposed to a year from now. What does this mean for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans?
Elite Cornerback and Track Star Accelerates Arrival, Bolstering Lincoln Riley’s 2025 Roster
Top-ranked 2026 CB RJ Sermons is reclassifying to 2025, fast-tracking his USC debut and delivering an early talent infusion to the Trojans’ secondary.
Sermons were ranked at No. 9 in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Instead, he joins a USC incoming freshman class of defensive backs that was already impressive with the likes of cornerbacks James Johnson, Alex Graham, Trestin Castro, and safeties Stephen Miller and Kendarius Riddick, who also arrive in the summer.
USC will keep veterans DJ Harvey, DeCarlos Nicholson, Prophet Brown, incoming UCF transfer Chasen Johnson, and redshirt freshmen Marcelles Williams and Braylon Conley, who look to be the favorites for playing time at the two outside cornerback spots.
The nickel spot is harder to project. Johnson earned a very strong buzz for his work in the spring. However, the coaching staff has said that they’ll use a variety of skill sets and body types at that position in different defensive packages.
Sermons should step into the USC Trojans football program with a legitimate claim as the fastest member of USC’s secondary. He currently sits at the state’s top times in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, with 10.30 and 20.88 seconds, respectively.
Despite Sermons moving out of the USC 2026 recruiting class, their crop of 2026 cornerback commits is still arguably the best in the country. Five-star Elbert Hill, the No. 1-ranked cornerback and No. 14 national prospect, four-star Brandon Lockhart (No. 4 cornerback and No. 32 overall, four-star Madden Riordan, and three-star Josh Holland will all be gracing USC with their presence.
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Sermons won’t be the only member of the USC 2025 recruiting class who was supposed to be a senior in high school next season. Five-star defensive lineman, Jahkeem Stewart, also reclassified from the 2026 to the 2025 recruiting class last season after playing in just 12 high school games in his entire career. Sermons is expected to have a role in USC’s defense this fall.
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