HONOLULU -- Cornerback figures to be one of the most intriguing position battles for USC this spring and into the summer, as the Trojans return minimal production/experience while having an impressive young crop of talent that could be ready to make its mark.
Incoming four-star freshman Trestin Castro is hoping to indeed do just that.
"I do want to start my freshman year to make a name for myself, but I also want to win too," Castro said while competing at the Polynesian Bowl this week.
The early enrollee had already move onto campus last Wednesday before heading to Hawaii as one of five Trojans playing one last high school football game in the all-star showcase, along with QB Husan Longstreet, WR Tanook Hines, LB Matai Tagoa'i and fellow CB Alex Graham, who is Castro's roommate on campus.
He hasn't yet had a chance to get involved in any formal workouts -- that will come when he returns from Hawaii -- but in talking with the coaches Castro said the plan is for him to work at both corner and nickel initially.
"They just want me to be ready to go," he said. "Just [playing] man for sure, staying on your guy one-on-one and being a ballhawk."
USC is having to replace starting cornerbacks Jaylin Smith and Jacobe Covington and key reserve John Humphrey.
Thanks to the NCAA waiver giving former JUCO players an extra year of eligibility in 2025, veteran DeCarlos Nicholson will be back and looking to earn a larger role, veteran Prophet Brown also returns and USC added San Jose State transfer DJ Harvey to the mix.
But the rest of the cornerback depth chart as it stands is comprised of young, untested players like promising second-year talents Marcelles Williams and Braylon Conley, redshirt sophomore Maliki Crawford (who has been injured his first two years with the Trojans), untested Texas A&M transfer and redshirt sophomore Kevin Longstreet redshirt freshman Isaiah Rubin and the incoming freshmen Castro, Graham and James Johnson.
Castro, out of Upland High School, was one of the earlier commits in USC's 2025 recruiting class, giving his Trojans pledge last April and sticking with it to the finish line.
He said all along he was looking for "just somewhere I could make a name for myself."
He also believes the reactions to USC's 7-6 season last fall have been overstated and not in line with the potential he feels the program has for the year ahead.
"I feel like it's a good vibe, just bonding together, getting to know each other so we can build that brotherhood," he said of his first days on campus last week. "There's just a lot of hate on USC, but I feel like this upcoming season we're going to make a name for USC, we're going to bring it back."
Watch the full interview here:
