USC Transfers Could Become Breakout Stars in 2021

Meet K.D. Nixon, Keaontay Ingram and Xavion Alford.

The USC Trojans were one school that heavily dipped into the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason. 

The combination of the COVID-19 pandemic easing-up transfer restrictions and USC losing players to the portal and NFL draft caused Clay Helton and his staff to pickup some new talent. 

So let's get to know three players that transferred to USC this offseason and evaluate how they can help the Trojans in 2021. 

Wide Receiver - K.D. Nixon

We start with the transfer from Colorado, wide receiver K.D. Nixon. In his four-year (2017-20) career with the Buffaloes, Nixon caught 104 passes for 1,250 yards and amassed seven touchdowns.

Beyond receiving abilities, Nixon can serve as an asset on special teams. The redshirt senior returned 33 kickoffs for 758 yards which averages 23 yards-per-return.

Nixon will be competing for valuable playing time this fall, but seems to be a good fit for Clay Helton's offense at the slot position. He's fast and quick on the inside with good hands. 

Nixon brings veteran Pac-12 experience to the table. He will need to compete alongside returning players Drake London and Bru McCoy but has the tools to make an impact this fall. 

Running Back - Keaontay Ingram

The next player we meet is senior Keaontay Ingram. In his three-year career at Texas, he rushed for 1,811 yards on 339 carries with 11 touchdowns. He also caught 67 passes for 515 yards with six TDs.

Ingram will give the Trojans much needed depth at the tailback position as running back's Markese Stepp and Stephan Carr left the program after the 2020 season. Ingram is fast and great at making cuts and from what we saw this spring, he has the potential to become a 'game changer' for the Trojans this fall. 

Safety - Xavion Alford

Another former Texas player, redshirt freshman Xavion Alford, rounds out our list of new Trojans. The safety played in four games with the Longhorns in 2020, getting four tackles as a true freshman.

Alford will be competing for playing time on Todd Orlando’s defense, but can also be a good developmental piece moving forward for Troy. In high school, Alford was named All-State during his senior season. He showed great play-making abilities and has potential to become an everyday starter for the Trojans defensive backfield in the coming seasons.

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