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Chris Steele, Drake London bring fire to USC football practices

James Fletcher IIIby:James Fletcher III08/19/21

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Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images

A pair of All-Pac-12 second-team players face off each day on the practice field at USC. Returning stars Drake London and Chris Steele have developed a preseason rivalry as they compete head-to-head on the outside.

“It’s the Biletnikoff against the Thorpe so every play is battle of the titans and I look forward to it,” associate head coach Donte Williams told reports during his Wednesday press conference. “You start to see more and more of that, and the guys like to compete against each other.”

Williams has set high standards for the junior Trojans this season, but neither will back away from the challenge. London is ranked one of the top retuning wide receivers in college football and Steele is a candidate to become one of the top cornerbacks in the country.

“It’s going to every now and then get a little chippy because they’re both really, really competitive guys,” Williams said. “And I look forward to it because if they’re giving each other’s best every day on this practice field then the game should be easy.”

A Battle of Titans

At 6-foot-1, Steele comes into the matchup with a height disadvantage against the 6-foot-5 Williams. What he lacks in height, he makes up for with fiery play and quick hands.

Steele has played in 18 games with 12 career starts since transferring from Florida in 2019. He has 61 tackles with nine pass deflections and one interception.

Drake London is a much more reserved player than Chris Steele off the field, but Williams says that does not tell the whole story.

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“He’s the same kind of person, you just don’t see it as much,” said Williams. “Drake is the same fiery as Chris so it’s good because they get a chance to go against each other a lot at practice.”

The former four-star recruit has appeared in 19 games with 15 career starts. He has 72 receptions for 1,069 yards and eight touchdowns over his first two seasons.

In 2020, London became a two-sport star when he joined the basketball team for the conference season. He saw limited action and finished the season with three rebounds.

The Trojans will need both to unlock their potential to make their first College Football Playoff appearance in school history. Head coach Clay Helton returns 16 starters from a 5-1 2020 team that was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. USC has not won a bowl game since 2017.