USC Trojans safeties named Top-10 group in college football for 2024
The 2024 USC Trojans will bring a number of questions into the college football season this fall due to not having a ton of returning production and needing big offseason jumps with several players at key positions. But one position group that looks truly deep and set is at safety. And that appears to be the consensus nationally. On3’s Jesse Simonton has been running down the top-10 position groups across the country this offseason. The series arrived at the safety position on Friday and the USC Trojans finally made an appearance.
USC comes in at No. 6 on Simonton’s list.
Five of the top eight teams play in the Big Ten, and Notre Dame at No. 4 is another team on USC’s 2024 schedule. The list is topped by Iowa at No. 1, which features the starting due of Xavier Nwankpa and Quinn Schulte. Ohio State has been at or near the top of just about every position group ranking and the Buckeyes are in at No. 2 for safety. Georgia, Notre Dame and Penn State round out the top five.
The Trojans, despite losing third-round NFL Draft pick Calen Bullock, are in at No. 6.
Iowa State, Oregon, Alabama and Texas round out the top 10, with Ole Miss, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Purdue and Texas A&M included in the “Best of the Rest.”
USC’s safety position is headlined by two transfers in Kamari Ramsey from UCLA and Akili Arnold from Oregon State. They are the likely starters for the Trojans this fall. Ramsey brings a season’s worth of experience playing under defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. Arnold brings 151 tackles, 3 interceptions, 25 starts and 48 appearances with him to USC after five years with the Beavers.
Zion Branch is a real talent if he can get a long stay of good health and Christian Pierce impressed on the practice field during his true freshman season in 2023. The Trojans have a few more depth pieces with Bryson Shaw and Anthony Beavers Jr., who had a really good showing in the Holiday Bowl. And true freshmen Marquis Gallegos and Jarvis Boatwright Jr., had solid springs as early enrollee true freshmen.
With the returners and transfer additions at all five positions across both safety and cornerback, there’s little doubt the USC secondary will be much-improved this season under Lynn and defensive backs coach Doug Belk.
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