RJ Sermons, nation's No. 1 cornerback, commits to USC Trojans

Andrew Nemec | Dec 13, 2024

Elite cornerback RJ Sermons poses with USC coach Lincoln Riley / Courtesy of RJ Sermons

After a late push to land five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet and five-star defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart to close out the 2025 recruiting cycle, the USC Trojans have started the 2026 class with a bang.

The group already consists of seven pledges and has at least two recruits worthy of "class headliner" status.

Coming into the week, Lincoln Riley's program already boasted the commitment of Gainesville (Georgia) five-star athlete Xavier Griffin, but added another marquee name Friday.

Rancho Cucamonga (California) elite defensive back RJ Sermons, the nation's No. 11 overall prospect and No. 1 cornerback, announced his commitment to the Trojans.

The 6-foot, 180-pound athlete chose USC over offers from nearly 30 programs, highlighted by Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and many others.

Sermons' connection to USC runs deep, as his father, Rodney Sermons, was a running back for the Trojans in the mid-1990's.

"I have been around the Trojans since I can remember," Sermons told 247Sports. "Being a legacy I have been able to be around them from the beginning. The academics and football they have to offer are amazing and everything I look for in a school.

Here's what the site had to say about Sermons as a prospect:

"Sermons is a two-sport guy who also excels on the track. Clocked a personal best 10.48-100m and 21.34-200m during Junior track season and plays fast as well. Dad Rodney Sermons played RB at USC in the mid-90s. RJ is a pure corner who can play out wide or as a nickel. Good feet, closes well and shows poise when the ball is in the air. Has good ball awareness and doesn’t need to clutch and grab like a lot of young corners. Good open field tackler, will come up and hit you and has a really nice all around game. Can return punts and kicks and should make a leap in the return game with more opportunities this year. Advanced football IQ and feel for the game and has the all the tools to be an early impact player at the next level and is an easy high Power 5 prospect."