USC football: 3 true freshmen who could start in 2024

Lincoln Riley has a lot to prove this upcoming season. USC football finished the 2023 season with just an 8-5 record, falling short of all expectations with Caleb Williams back.

The pressure is starting to mount on Riley with the 2024 season approaching. The Trojans are losing Williams and the defense will be under a new direction with Alex Grinch (finally) getting fired. The defense should definitely improve, but the same cannot be said for an offense losing Williams, MarShawn Lloyd, and the team's top two receivers from last season.

The incoming freshman class will need to help make up for the lost talent. Which incoming freshmen could start at some point this season?

3. Marcelles Williams, 4-star CB

Defense was clearly the weakness of this team last season, allowing well over 400 yards per game and about 250 of those were through the air. What better way to fix the defense than relying on some blue-chip freshmen to shoulder some of the load.

Marcelles Williams, a four-star cornerback from Bellflower, Calif., who held offers from essentially every major program -- 33 offers in total.

It's clear that he was a highly sought-after prospect and the fact that he was a four-year starter at a powerhouse like St. John Bosco says a lot about how talented he is. There's a reason every major program wanted him and I could see him coming in and starting early on at USC just like he did at the high school level as a freshman.

There's not a lot of experience returning at cornerback, so having Williams coming in and starting would not be a huge shock.