PRIMARY FOCUS: Top USC Defensive Back Targets
The “Spring Evaluation Period” is a time of year when college assistant coaches hit the road. They’ve been visiting the high schools of prospects they’ve offered since April 15. These are prospects they’ve offered and taking a close look at.
This is the time of year a large number of scholarships are offers are doled out. While there aren’t many 2024 targets left to offer, a significant number of players from the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes have earned offers the past four weeks. There will be quite a few more offers handed out in the comings, too.
Coaches will continue visiting schools until the May 31 deadline. That’s when the June Camp Season. begins. USC has its first “Elite Camp” on June 4. Lincoln Riley and staff will conduct three “Elite Camps” in June. The second camp will be on June 10 and the final camp June 23.
Top Defensive Back Targets
Although the list of primary defensive back targets as of May 16 will be relatively short, there are other targets who could enter the priority category down the road. We should add, the list below will be for the guys we’ve heard USC has prioritized and believes they have a solid shot at getting.
So, no need to ask “what about” any other prospects. We’ll provide a list of other DB targets after the June Official Visits…..if necessary. If USC were able to sign any combination of the players we’ll list below, Lincoln Riley, Donte Willams and Alex Grinch will be ecstatic.
4-Star Cornerback Marcelles Williams – St. John Bosco
Photo by Chad Simmons/On3
While I’m admittedly a bit biased when it comes to the Williams family and their youngest Marcelles Williams, he’s one of the most highly sought cornerbacks in the nation. So, me saying he’s one of the elite players on the West Coast for 2024 is an opinion shared by many of the top college football programs in the country.
Many have pegged USC as the school to beat, and that could be the case for all we know, he’s nowhere near ready to make a school choice. Before he does settle on a school some time later this Summer, Williams plans to officially visit several schools.
The first official visit for Williams will come in a few weeks. He’ll visit UCLA May 5-7. After that there will be a five week break before he visits Oklahoma on June 9-11. He’ll follow up the Norman (OK) visit with USC on June 16-18. We’d be surprised if an Ohio St. official visit isn’t set up at some point, too.
Although the Bruins are getting one of Williams’s official visits, we don’t expect UCLA be a huge threat to ultimately sign him. But we believe the Oklahoma Sooners and Buckeyes are a strong options for Williams.
4-Star Cornerback Dakoda Fields – Gardena (CA) Serra
2024 four-star cornerback Dakoda Fields. (On3)
On Sunday, Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra four-star cornerback Dakoda Fieldsannounced his top seven schools and USC made the cut.
Last weekend it was reported that California, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, USC and Washington were the schools of focus for Fields.
Fields is the No. 89 overall prospect and No. 12 cornerback in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 10 player in California.
Even with his top-7 newly released, it appears Fields’ recruitment might come down to a battle of two Pac-12 powers
Fields has two official visits for the summer as he’ll visit USC on June 2 and Oregon on June 23. He visited both of those schools over the spring including a pair of visits to USC. Chances are extremely high it’s a USC vs Oregon battle for Fields all the way to the December signing period….regardless of the school he announces a commitment to.
4-Star Cornerback Zabien Brown – Mater Dei
Zabien Brown (Photo by Chad Simmons/On3)
There are three Elite Cornerback prospects in Southern California USC should’ve prioritized and did for the 2024 Recruiting Cycle. St. John Bosco’s Marcelles Williams, Serra’s Dakoda Fields and Mater Dei’s Brown.
We don’t talk often with Brown about recruiting, but we caught up with him at a Trinity League Track event at Mater Dei HS a few weeks back. That’s when he informed WeAreSC abut his official visits set for USC (June 2-4), Oregon (July 1-3), Ohio St. (June 16-18) and Alabama (June 24-26).
“Just the people there (USC), it’s a great environment and I already feel really comfortable going over there,” Brown said. “That’s also a big transition to the next level, being comfortable. It’s different at USC now. The coaches they have are great guys and there’s nowhere else like SoCal weather wise. So, there a lot of positives coming together with USC.”
4-Star Cornerback Sione Laulea – College of San Mateo
USC has only offered a handful of junior college prospects since the arrival of Lincoln Riley, but Coach Donte Williams offered 2024 College of Mateo (CA) CB Sione Laulea on April 2.
Laulea has also recently earned offers from USC, Oregon, Miami, BYU, Penn St., Illinois, Louisville, Utah, Florida St., Iowa St., Colorado, USF and San Jose St.
The 6-4 and 185 pounder would provide a college experienced player to Williams’s defensive backs room at USC. Next season the Trojans will need younger guys to step up and replace the likes Jacobe Covington, Max Williams, Calen Bullock and Bryson Shaw.
He was scheduled to visit for the April 15 USC Spring game, but had to reschedule.
“I’m coming around June,” said Laulea.
4-Star Cornerback Bryce West – Cleveland (OH) Glenville HS
Photo by Chad Simmons/On3
Bryce West also has close relationships with multiple coaches at USC. Location is not be an issue for him, since many of his family members live in California.
The four-star talks with head coach Lincoln Riley every week. He also communicates with other staffers on FaceTime, including defensive backs coach Donte Williams.
As of May 16, West has official visits set for USC (June 16), Ohio St. (June 23) and Michigan (June 9).
“They’re very open,” West said. “I can talk to them about anything, any situation as far as any sport or any problems I have. You want a relationship with coaches like that.”
4-Star Safety Braylon Conley – Atascocita (TX)
USC has added yet another name to their expected official visitors. However, unlike the many June visits being scheduled, this one will come next weekend. Humble (Tex.) Atascocita three-star safety Braylon Conley went to Twitter this morning with a custom video from USC announcing his official visit plans.
His visit is currently scheduled for May 18-21. It will be Conley’s second time to Los Angeles, his first being mid April for the USC spring game.
That visit was one that went very well and resulted in both sides agreeing a second visit was warranted. Now, he has scheduled it. As of right now, it is his only confirmed official visit.
“Had a great time at USC! I plan on visiting again,” Conley told WeAreSC. “The vibe and culture is really great! Coach (Lincoln) Riley is easy to talk to and a great guy. Coach Donte (Williams) and I had some great time spent together as well.”
Top-10 list for Conley
Earlier this spring, Conley released a top-10. That list was made up of USC, Oregon, Washington, Auburn, Utah, Kansas, Texas, TCU and Arkansas.
4-Star Safety Jordon Johnson-Rubell – IMG Academy
First USC Visit Leads to June Official
Two years ago Johnson-Rubell hadn’t communicated with the new USC staff. Craig Naivarhad offered him before departing for SMU. But Alex Grinch reached out to Johnson-Rubell on September 1 and began cultivating the relationship.
“Coach Grinch texted me and told me I still have an offer,” said Johnson-Rubell. “That was a big deal. Then Coach Donte (Williams) started texting in late November or December. So, we’ve been building a relationship since then. He’s a great guy, he’s a great coach and he’s real cool with my family.
“The entire eight hours I was at USC he was coaching me up in the film room. We watched film together and it felt like he was already my coach.”
Johnson-Rubell has continued communicating regularly with Coach Donte Williams and Alex Grinch since first contact seven months ago. He informed WeAreSC on last month of his plans to take a USC official visit the first weekend of June (6/2).
“I’ll be at USC the first week of June,” said Johnson-Rubell.
Texas (6/23) and Ohio St. (6/16) are also confirmed official visits for Johnson-Rubell.
First impression of USC
While Johnson-Rubell may have been unfamiliar with the USC campus, he was already familiar with several staff members. He took an unofficial visit to Oklahoma in 2021 and met Grinch, Roy Williams and of course Riley. So, the visit to USC was an opportunity to get acquainted with the University of Southern California and reacquainted with the USC coaching staff.
“It was definitely like an eye opener for me,” said Johnson-Rubell. “I hear about USC a lot, how big L.A. is and the history and tradition of USC, but I was shocked a little. The day before found out Bookie (Radley-Hiles) would be touring the campus with me. He’s an IMG and NFL guy. Taylor Mays was there with us too. Having those guys there with their connections and NFL experience made me want to go to USC that much more.”
4-Star Safety Marquis Gallegos – West Hills (CA) Chaminade
Four-star safety Marquis Gallegos during his Notre Dame visit April 2022. (Chad Weaver/Blue & Gold)
Four-Star West Hills (CA) Chaminade Safety Marquis Gallegos was one of the earliest 2024 offers for Lincoln Riley and his staff. Gallegos and his family made their first USC visit of the Riley era on January 29, 2022. Hard believe we’re approaching year two.
Last month Gallegos shared his thoughts on Riley, the vibe at USC, the direction of the football program, the role they see him playing on defense and more.
“The January visit to USC was really great for me and my family,” said Gallegos. “The coaches were telling me that I’m a priority for them. Lincoln Riley’s a great coach, but an even better person,” Gallegos said. “He’s very easy to talk to and always makes myself and my family feel at home when we visit USC. The direction of the USC program is definitely headed in the right direction.
“The role they see me playing in their defense is similar to what Calen Bullock is playing right now. Coach Donte is my main contact at USC.”
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