USC photo gallery: Trojan newcomers on defense

Tuesday marked the first spring ball practice for all the newcomers for the USC Trojans on the 2024 roster. Here’s a look at all the new faces on the defensive side of the ball, including transfers, incoming freshmen and new assistant coaches, along with some of their recent accolades from their official USC bios.

Defensive linemen

Vanderbilt transfer Nate Clifton

Clifton is listed at 6-foot-4, 289 pounds with one year of eligibility left. As a redshirt senior in 2023, he was selected as a team captain and recorded 30 tackles, including a team-leading 7.5 for loss (with a team-leading 5.5 sacks), 1 PBU and 1 INT. He also led the team in QB hurries (4). He started all 12 games. 

Texas A&M transfer Isaiah Raikes

Raikes, a 6-foot-1, 313-pound defensive tackle with one year of eligibility remaining. As a redshirt junior in 2023, he recorded 17 tackles, including 3 for loss (with 1 sack), 1 PBU and 1 forced fumble while appearing in all 12 games with 1 start. 

True freshman defensive end Kameryn Fountain

Kameryn is a 6-foot-6, 256-pound defensive end who finished as the No. 63 overall prospect in the 2024 class. As a senior at Booker T. Washington (Ga.) HS, he was named the 2023 Region 6-AA Co-Defensive Player of the Year and earned placement on the 2023 Touchdown Club of Atlanta Preseason All-Star Team. 

True freshman defensive end Lorenzo Cowan

Cowan is a 6-foot-3, 230-pound defensive end who became a late addition to the USC 2024 class. He finished as a three-star prospect and the No. 839 overall recruit. As a senior at Jenkins (Ga.) HS in 2023, he tallied 76 tackles, including 11 for loss (with 8 sacks), 8 PBUs, 3 blocked field goals and 1 forced fumble. He was named the 2023 5A Region 1 Defensive Player of the Year.

True freshman defensive lineman Jide Abasiri 

Abasiri is a 6-foot-5, 291-pound defensive lineman who decommitted late in the cycle from Minnesota and wound up in USC’s class. He finished as a four-star prospect and the nation’s No. 287 overall recruit. After his senior year at Prior Lake (Minn.) HS, the four-star recruit was named the team’s Defensive Lineman of the Year, and was selected to the 2023 All-District First Team, the 2023 AP Minnesota All-State First Team, the 2023 Star Tribune All-Metro First Team and Randy Shaver’s 2023 KARE 11 All-Metro Football Team. He also competed in the 2023 Minnesota All-Star game. Abasiri, a team captain, also earned placement on the 2023 KARE 11 Preseason All-Metro team, the 2023 Preseason All-State team, was a 2023 Vikings Gatorade Elite Camp prospect and a 2023 PRZ Preseason 6A Player of the Year nominee.

Defensive line coach Eric Henderson

Linebacker

Oregon State transfer Easton Mascarenas-Arnold

Mascarenas-Arnold is a 6-foot, 231-pound linebacker transfer from Oregon State coming off a first-team All-Pac-12 season. As a junior in 2023, he collected 107 tackles, including 6.5 for loss of 32 yards (with 2 sacks for minus 23 yards), 3 QBHs and 2 INTs while appearing in and starting in all 12 games.

True freshman linebacker Elijah Newby

Newby, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound linebacker, finished as a four-star prospect and the No. 153 overall prospect in the 2024 class. Newby competed for Cheshire Academy (Conn.), which MaxPreps named the top high school football team in Connecticut. Cheshire Academy won the 2023 New England Bowl Championships. As a senior, he was named to the 2023 Northeast Prep Football Conference All-League First Team and the 2023 All-New England Prep School Athletic Council First Team. 

True freshman linebacker Desman Stephens II

Stephens, a 6-foot-3, 233-pound freshman was a late riser in the 2024 class and finished as a four-star prospect and the No. 331 overall recruit. During his senior year at Clarkston (Mich.) HS as a three-way player, he collected 88 tackles, 3 INTs, 6 PBUs 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. On offense, he tallied 614 rushing yards on 64 carries (9.6 avg.) with 9 TDs and had 26 receptions for 415 yards (16.0 avg.) with 4 TDs. On special teams, he recorded 5 punt returns for 124 yards (24.8 avg.) and 1 TD and 11 kick returns for 268 yards (24.4 avg.). He earned placement on the 2023 Free Press All-North First Team, the 2023 Michigan Associated Press Division 1-2 All-State First Team, the SB Michigan All-State First Team, the 2023 AP Michigan All-State First Team and the 2023 Michigan High School Football Coaches Association All-State First Team. He also was named to the 2023 Prep RedZone Michigan Division I Preseason All-State Defense.

Linebacker coach Matt Entz

Defensive backs

Oregon State safety transfer Akili Arnold

Arnold, a 6-foot, 200-pound transfer from Oregon State has one year of eligibility remaining. As a redshirt senior in 2023, Arnold recorded 60 tackles, including 2 for loss of 6 yards (with 0.5 sack for minus 4 yards), 6 PBUs, 2 INTs, 2 QB hurries and 1 fumble recovery while appearing in and starting 11 games (all except Oregon and Notre Dame). He had a career-best 10 tackles against UCLA and recorded an INT in the same game. 

UCLA safety transfer Kamari Ramsey

Ramsey, a 6-foot, 204-pound safety comes over from UCLA with three years of eligibility remaining. As a redshirt freshman in 2023, he recorded 40 tackles, including 2. 5 for loss, 5 PBUs and 1 INT while appearing in 11 games with 11 starts. 

Mississippi State cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson

Nicholson, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound transfer comes over from Mississippi State with one year of eligibility remaining. As a 2023 senior, he collected 42 tackles, including 2 for loss of 4 yards and 2 PBUs while appearing in 12 games with 7 starts. 

UCLA cornerback transfer John Humphrey

Humphrey, a 6-foot-2, 196-pound corner comes over from UCLA with one year of eligibility remaining. As a senior in 2023, he recorded 31 tackles, 5 PBUs, 2 INTs, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery while appearing in 12 games with 11 starts. 

True freshman cornerback Marcelles Williams

Williams, a 5-foot-10, 182-pound cornerback finished as a four-star prospect and the nation’s No. 160 overall recruit. During his senior season, he helped football powerhouse St. John Bosco (Calif.) to win the 2023 CIF State Football Open Division Championship. He recorded 65 tackles, 2 INTs 8 PBUs and 1 blocked field goal in 2023. Williams was named to the 2023 All-Trinity League First Team, the 2023 LA Times All-Star Team and was selected as a 2023 Los Angeles Rams High School All-Star. Prior to the season, he earned placement on the 2023 MaxPreps Preseason All-American First Team.

True freshman safety Jarvis Boatwright Jr.

Boatwright, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound safety comes in as a three-star recruit and the nation’s No. 627 overall prospect in the 2024 class. As a senior, he collected 102 tackles, including 3 for loss, 1 INT, 6 PBUs and 1 fumble recovery. He also had 1 punt return for 5 yards (5.0 avg.). He was named to the 2023 FACA All-District First Team and was a 2023 FACA All-Star selection. 

True freshman safety Marquis Gallegos

Gallegos is a 6-foot-1, 181-pound safety who finished the 2024 cycle as a four-star prospect and the nation’s No. 376 overall recruit. He had an impressive junior year for Chaminade and was named to the 2022 CalHi Sports All-State First Team, the 2022 MaxPreps California All-State Team, the 2022 Prep RedZone All-Southern California Jr. Team, the 2022 SB Live All-California Team, the 2022 LA Times All-Star Team and the 2022 LA Daily News All-Area First Team. Additionally, he was selected as the 2022 CIF-SS Division II Defensive MVP, the 2022 Mission League Defensive MVP and the 2022 Team MVP.

Defensive backs coach Doug Belk and defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn