4-star CB Marcelles Williams stays home, commits to USC

Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco four-star cornerback Marcelles Williams is staying home and announced on Sunday that he is committing to USC and head coach Lincoln Riley.

Williams is the No. 66 overall prospect and No. 6 cornerback in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 6 player in California.

He is the younger brother of current Trojans player Max Williams, and USC has hosted Williams more than any other school up to this point in his recruitment. Coming off his official visit over the weekend, he added his name to the commitment board.

“They’ve shown me it’s not the same old USC that I’ve been to the past four or five years,” Williams told WeAreSC earlier this month. “It’s a lot different, there’s a lot energy and it’s very organized.

He added: “There’s a foundation and the coaches will probably be there a while. Coach Donte probably won’t be going anywhere unless he gets a big promotion. Lincoln Riley even talked about it, too. He said you don’t leave what he had at Oklahoma to move somewhere he didn’t plan to be at for a long time. He doesn’t see himself leaving anytime soon, if ever.”

Riley and Co. building off impressive 2023 class

In his first full cycle at the helm, Riley put together a top-10 class for the Trojans.

USC wrapped up the 2023 recruiting cycle signing the No. 9 class in the country and the No. 2 class in the Pac-12 with 22 signees. That class finished 39 spots higher than their 2022 class.

Coming into the day, the Trojans had the No. 13 class in the 2024 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and have been on a tear as of late. After landing three commitments — top-100 wide receiver Xavier Jordan, four-star tight end Joey Olsen and three-star running back Bryan Jackson — between September of 2022 and May 1 of this year, the Trojans have reeled off eight commitments in the past 6 1/2 weeks.

That includes top-100 in-state defensive back Dakoda Fields, four-star Georgia tight end Walter Matthews, four-star EDGE Kameryn Fountain, On3 top-150 offensive lineman Manasse Itete and Connecticut four-star linebacker Elijah Newby.