USC Football: Transfer Seems Confident In Competing For Top CB Job

But does he have what it takes?

Sep 10, 2022; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Jo'quavious Marks (7) and cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson (4) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

New USC Trojans cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson, a transfer out of Mississippi State, hadn't intended to leave home — and then Lincoln Riley came calling.

Per Ryan Kartje of The Los Angeles Times, Nicholson was still wary.

He transferred initially from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College to Mississippi State.

“I always talked about people getting out of Mississippi and putting Mississippi on the map, so to speak,” Nicholson said. “I guess I was kind of scared to do it.”

“He was just a fantastic athlete,” his coach at Gulf Coast Community College, Jack Wright, noted. “He jumped off the field at you.”

Nicholson had started his journey at Gulf Coast Community College in part because he wanted an opportunity to explore the game at quarterback, too, but Wright suggested his options would be limited if he clung to the dual-threat route.

“We knew it was going to be a tough road for DeCarlos to leave junior college and play at a high level at the quarterback position,” Wright said. “He just didn’t have enough film of him being able to stand in the pocket and deliver passes routinely down the field.”

He blossomed into an appetizing talent just as a cornerback at Mississippi State. And he won't be expected to dig into his quarterback playbook at USC, either. In speaking with Kartje, Riley explained how he projects Nicholson to blossom further. Now, he's angling to assume top cornerback duties for the Cardinal and Gold.

“You feel like there’s a lot of development left in front of this kid, and that he can get a lot better,” Riley said. “Whereas sometimes you’re bringing in a fourth-year guy and he’s been playing for a while, and yeah, he can get better but maybe you kind of know what he is. We feel like there’s a lot of ceiling there for him.”

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